A Fox's Sin of Lust
by BlueRaven 666
Summary: Ban's drinking habits land him into trouble when his own drunkenness leads to him sleeping with the Sin of Lust. Now pregnant, Gowther continues to try to understand human emotions, yearning for the heart to help him, but is the heart that he seeks closer than he thinks? WARNINGS: Yaoi, MPreg, and possible OOCness. Don't like, don't read. PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1: A Fox's Drunken Lust

**Chapter 1: A Fox's Drunken Lust**

It was always like a festival when the seven deadly sins got around to drink together. Ban would cook the food, Meliodas would distribute drinks, Elizabeth would wait on tables, Hawk would clean up the leftovers, and everyone else would have a good time. And after all the cooking was done and over with, Ban would joined in and drink as much alcohol as he could before passing out.

This time, though, Ban had really outdone himself. Several bottles of beer, wine, and bourbon lay empty and scattered about. His stein had been filled and refilled more times than anyone was able to count. Had no one seen him actually drink it all, everyone would've thought the Sin of Greed had bathed in it, as the smell of booze on him was less of a smell now and more like an aura.

On the opposite end of that spectrum was Gowther, who only drink when everyone else was drinking, and he never drank much. He was more preoccupied studying the others, figuring out their feelings and behavior patterns, and alcohol always seemed to bring about a new situation or emotion that he would try to make sense of. King would always fall asleep after a few drinks, Merlin and Diane grew louder and laughed more, Meliodas was fueled by beer and could usually down several gallons without much need for concern, and Ban . . . Well, Ban was someone whom he was still trying to figure out.

The Fox's Sin was typically disoriented after two steins of beer, but the odds of him drinking more than that were always 100%. On another note, he learned that the Sin of Greed did not prefer a light squeeze to the breast as Elizabeth did with Meliodas, and whenever the Sin of Lust with talk, Ban would typically react in a negative sense; either angry or confused. Aside from all of this, though, he knew nothing.

As Gowther sat at the counter observing, Ban suddenly stumbled his way to one of the stools next to him. It took three failed attempts before his rear end found the seat to the stool so he could sit down.

"Are you alright, Ban?" Gowther inquired.

Ban threw his head back in a boisterous laugh before letting out a satisfied sigh and slinging an arm around his shoulder.

"I'm just great!"

"Oh? You seem to be extremely disoriented."

"I just said I'm great, didn't I? You need to loosen up a little!"

A lost, pondering look settled on Gowther's face, "Loosen up? I don't understand."

Ban wasn't listening. He had already found the stein Gowther had been poured and was guzzling down what was left. He only paused for a moment as he shot the Goat's Sin a grin.

"Do you mind?"

"It's mostly gone now, anyways," Gowther replied.

The drink was disappearing down Ban's throat before Gowther had even finished. As the magenta-haired man watched him, he wondered if allowing him to take his drink had been the right choice. Ban's face was already red from the constant laughter and drinking. If Gowther's calculations were correct, Hawk would be the one dragging him to bed. Again.

Gowther turned around and went back to observing the rest of his team. Merlin and Diane were caught up in a conversation, King was asleep on his pillow, Hawk was cleaning up a pile of food Ban had spilled earlier, and Meliodas . . . Well, he had his head tucked under Elizabeth's skirt, earning him an enraged glare from Diane. There were a number of new situations here that he simply didn't understand their motives too.

"Why does Diane get upset whenever the Captain touches Princess Elizabeth?" Gowther asked.

Ban chuckled, "She has a bit of a crush on the Captain! Kinda makes sense that her sin is Envy, huh?"

"So if the Captain would do that to her, then she would be happy?"

"Hard to say. I think he tried that once and she tried to crush him for being a pervert. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised that isn't your job."

Gowther turned to Ban, "What do you mean?"

"You're the Sin of Lust, aren't you? You don't exactly live up to it, though. You're like the _least_ lustful person I know!"

"Is that a bad thing?"

Ban didn't have the opportunity to answer the Goat Sin's question. The massive amounts of alcohol he had consumed over the course of the past few hours suddenly forced their way back up, causing the Sin of Greed to spew vomit on the ground beneath his stool. Nobody really took notice. Ban's stomach could never hold the amount of drinks he usually downed. This was practically a nightly occurrence.

Gowther sat there quietly as he allowed Ban to empty his stomach. He knew that trying to speak to him when he looked stressed out or upset earned him a punch to the face every time, so he waited.

Once the flow vomit stopped, Ban made an attempt to stand up, only to stumble and lean heavily on Gowther's shoulder.

"Are you feeling alright, Ban?" Gowther asked.

"I feel fine!" Ban replied, his words slurred and his head spinning, "I just need another drink . . ."

"Is that really a good idea?" Gowther asked, "According to my calculations, your chances of getting sick again are over 80% now."

"Shut up! Let me tell you somethin' . . ."

"Tell me what?"

"Let me tell you, you're a . . . dude Gowther, have you always been this cute?"

Gowther tilted his head in confusion, "What?"

"It's got somethin' to do with your _face_. I think you're cute."

Cute? What was that supposed to be? Gowther had heard that term before, read about it in books, he'd even heard Meliodas and Diane use it a couple of times. But hearing it come from Ban had having it directed towards him made the term sound like a foreign language.

"You think that I'm cute?" Gowther asked.

"Yeah, that's it . . ." Ban mumbled, "Come to think of it, I always thought you were cute . . . Better than that Elaine bitch all those years ago."

Better than Elaine? Cute? If Gowther hadn't known any better, he would have thought that this Ban was an imposter.

"I'm not sure what you're trying to say, Ban," the Goat's Sin said.

The Fox's Sin leaned in closer to him, taking him by the hand and leading him towards the door.

"Let's just go inside . . . Together . . . Alone . . ."


	2. Chapter 2: What Happened Last Night?

**Chapter 2: What Happened Last Night?**

It seemed as though every morning Ban woke up with a hangover, but this one in particular felt worse than any he'd had in a long time. He felt dizzy, tired, and agitated. His head was pounding and he couldn't exactly remember what he had done the night before. As he slowly rolled out of bed, he was surprised to find himself completely stripped of his clothes, even though he didn't recall taking off a single garment.

He found his red, studded coat and pants folded on a chair nearby. As he put them on, Ban realized that he never folded his clothes. If they weren't on him, there were bunched up in a pile beside the bed or somewhere else on the floor. They were never folded, and they most certainly were never put in a certain place. As Ban made his way towards the door, he shook it off. Maybe Elizabeth saw he passed out and she did it for him.

It didn't surprise him to see that everyone else was up and moving when he came out of his room. There were still some leftovers from dinner that Hawk was eating, and everyone else was finishing up breakfast.

"Finally awake, are you, Ban?" Meliodas called from across the bar, "You certainly drank a lot last night."

Ban smirked, "You're one to talk, Captain. I bet you drank just as much as I did!"

"At least I can hold it!"

"I'll show you next time, Captain. I'm going to make you eat those words!"

Ban winced as the pounding in his head increased. It was too much for him to handle this morning.

"Well, for now why don't you nurse that hangover of yours?" Meliodas asked him.

Ban let out a loud yawn, "Fine."

He walked toward the bar stools where he and Gowther had been sitting the night before. The magenta-haired man hadn't moved an inch since then, or at least that's how it looked. The only difference, it seemed, was that there was now a plate of breakfast in front of him; however, it seemed as though he hadn't eaten a scrap of it. Instead, he appeared to be incredibly focused reading the lables on various bottles of alcohol.

"You're incredibly fortunate that you can't be killed by any normal means," Gowther stated as Ban sat down beside him, "The amount of alcohol that you had consumed last night would have been more than enough to kill an average human."

"And that's how you have a good time," Ban said, "Drinking as much as you can in one night without killing yourself."

"A good time, you say? Then does that mean that I didn't have a good time?"

Ban shrugged, "How the hell am I supposed to know that? Everyone's different. If reading the lables to wine bottles is what you call a good time, that's fine by me."

The too sins sat there in silence for quite some time before Ban spoke.

"Hey, Gowther?"

"What is it, Ban?"

"What exactly happened last night? Everything's kind of a blur to me."

"You drank a lot. At one point you even took the mug I had and drank it all yourself. Not long after that, you wound up spewing it all over the floor."

"Sounds about right. What happened after that?"

Gowther turned his focus back on the bottles of hops on the shelf in front of him.

"You passed out. We put you on top of Hawk, and he carried you off to bed."

Ban tilted his head curiously, "By any chance, did I happen to strip myself of my clothes before that happened?"

Gowther shook his head.

"Then why the hell did I wake up naked?"

"I don't know." Gowther replied.

Ban let out a sigh, "It's fine. It's not like it was your fault, anyways."

The Fox's Sin looked at the full plate of food that Gowther still had in front of him.

"Are you going to eat that?"

"Captain was the one who cooked this morning," Gowther stated, "I believe it isn't safe to eat this food."

Ban chuckled as he stood up, putting his hangover aside and stretching himself, "Well, I guess I'll just have to go make something else, then."

" _Oh, thank god_!"

Everyone in the Boar Hat erupted in relieved sighs and clattering silverwear as they pushed their partially eaten meals away from them.

Meliodas crossed his arms and let out a playful laugh, "Aw, c'mon! My cooking isn't _that bad_ , is it?"

As Ban tumbled over the counter and began pulling out ingredients to cook, Merlin sat down beside Gowther.

"Why did you lie to him?" she asked.

Gowther turned to her, "You know?"

"I know everything that happened between you and Ban last night; everything from the stripping to the orgasming."

Gowther blinked, "I was reading the atmosphere. That's what King said I should do. If Ban doesn't remember last night, then I don't think it needs to be brought up unless something else happens."

"Unless something else happens? What do you mean?"

"I have a hypothesis. There's no need for me to bring it up right now."

"Gowther . . . what are you planning?"

"Nothing. I'm just pondering something right now."

"What something?"

Gowther faced Merlin, placing his hands on his lap.

"Ban told me he though I was cute."

Merlin let out a sigh, "Gowther, he was drunk. He didn't know what he was saying."

"I know, but I don't understand."

"What don't you understand?" Merlin asked.

"I don't understand what it means. How am I cute? What is cute? Is it like love? Or is it like friendship; like a companion?"

A smile spread across Merlin's face as she laughed and patted his head.

"Oh, Gowther, we really need to give you a heart so you can be able to understand these feelings for yourself."


	3. Chapter 3: Define Love

**Chapter 3: Define Love**

Merlin kept a tight chain on Gowther; for everyone else's sake, as well as his own. It was why she had built his armor to contain uncontrollable power, and it was why she was willing to replace it after he'd told her that the armor had broken. It was also why she had developed various methods to contain the immense power that had turned Gowther from a fragile six-inch doll to a fairly tall young man; medicine and charms, to name a few. She cared very deeply for his safety and about his goal to obtain a heart and understand human emotions and what triggered them. That's why after she spoke with him about the things he did with Ban, she became very skeptical and concerned.

Gowther had a bad habit of experimenting with people's emotions. He could overwrite memories and turn the opinions of a single person in a completely different direction. He could erase people, important people and the meaningful memories they brought, from someone's mind and replace it with something else. On top of that, all of those things could just wind up being another hypothesis of his; a guess as to why certain things made people feel a certain way. It had been nearly a month since he had slept with Ban, and if sleeping with him was just another test he was running in hopes of understanding the word "cute", Gowther was going to be in a world of trouble.

Merlin glanced over to the Goat's Sin from her spot leaning against a wall by a window. He still sat on the same bar stool staring at the same wall of hops. Merlin always figured that keeping him busy reading a book or various labels or wanted posters would help him learn. However, while it helped him understand more about the world he lived in, she knew it didn't help him with trying to understand and experience true emotions; the knowledge he truly wanted to gain.

Gowther turned his attention away from the various bottles of alcohol in front of him and glanced over to her direction. The look he gave her told her that he was searching for new information or for a new problem to arise so he could ponder it and try to solve it.

"Read the atmosphere." she mouthed to him.

Gowther nodded and turned to observe those that were in the bar. It was a busy day for the Boar Hat. Gilthunder and Hauser, the two Holy Knights, sat at a table as they drank and chatted. He was already familiar with these particular behaviors in friendship, as he had seen Ban and Meliodas do the same some nights when they drank.

Merlin sat down beside him. She knew whenever Gowther made an observation he had a tendency to blurt it out with no resistance. Sitting next to him gave him someone to state his observations to, and that made it less likely for him to yell it out for the whole bar to hear.

"Gilthunder and Hauser are good friends, aren't they?" he told her, "Kind of like Captain and Ban."

"Definitely." Merlin agreed.

Gowther's gaze veered over towards King and Diane. The two of them were caught up in a friendly conversation. King looked incredibly bashful; blushing and looking away while Diane continued to enjoy herself. Gowther then looked over to where Meliodas stood with Elizabeth. The leader of the Seven Deadly Sins was caught up squeezing the young princess's breasts while Hawk attempted to pull him off with his mouth clamped onto one of his pant legs.

Gowther kept looking back and forth between the two pairs.

"Is King in love with Diane?" he asked Merlin.

Merlin nodded, "He loves her very much."

"And the Princess is in love with Captain?"

"Yup."

Gowther tilted his head curiously, "But they act so different."

Merlin snickered, "All love is different, Gowther. The love between two friends, like Gil and Hauser, is different from the love between lovers, like Captain and Elizabeth. And the love King shows for Diane is very different from the love all six of us show for each other as comrades."

"Camaraderie is a form of love?"

"Well, yes. It isn't romantic in any way, but it's what makes us feel for each other. It's why we're willing to put our lives on the line to make sure one another is safe."

Gowther let out a pondering hum before glancing over his shoulder towards Ban, who was busy cooking meals for the customers.

"Hey, Ban," he called to him, "Do you love me?"

Ban shot him a confused glance, cocking a brow to him.

"As a _friend_ . . . _**maybe**_ ," he replied, "But don't even think about smooching up on me!"

"Understood. That's all," the magenta-haired man turned completely around in his seat, facing Ban. He took a few sniffs towards the food he was cooking, "That smells so good!"

* * *

"Captain, we need to talk."

Meliodas turned as King approached him, "What is it?"

The fairy twiddled his fingers timidly for a couple of seconds before responding.

"I think there's something going on with Gowther?"

Meliodas chuckled, "Isn't there always something going on with Gowther? If you or someone isn't scolding him, he's usually being knocked about for something he's done."

"I know that!" King retorted, "But I wouldn't be saying something about it if it was something normal like that!"

"Normal?"

"Yeah, he hasn't been acting normal recently."

The two sins sat down at a table. King explained that Gowther seemed to be a lot less preoccupied with reading, like he normally was, and seemed to be more focused on certain scents, almost as if they were a distraction. King had noted that some scents seemed to hold the sin of Lust in place for several minutes, as he found them pleasant, while others seemed drive him off and he'd move as far as he could away from it, even going outside to get away from it.

He'd also observed that within the past week, Gowther had been eating more; clearing his plate of all sauce, grease, and crumbs rather than taking a few bites of a meal then pushing it away. Gowther normally said that he wasn't picky about the food that was put in front of him, but the sudden increase in appetite was definitely unusual. Even Ban had made a few comments.

"That isn't all," King added, "I know that I should have said something about this sooner, but Gowther was sick!"

Meliodas looked genuinely shocked, "Sick?"

"Yeah! Once he'd finished eating one time, he walked off into the woods. I became suspicious as to what he was doing, so I followed him. He never saw me, but I was able to see him. Once he was a good ways away from the bar, he doubled over and puked."

"That's definitely strange," Meliodas agreed, "We know that Gowther's a doll. I'd imagine dolls don't get sick."

"I know, right?"

Meliodas was silent for several seconds before he gave King a hard stare.

"I'm pretty sure he knows what's going on," he said, "He's done something."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, I don't want to accuse him of anything just yet; just in case I'm wrong," Meliodas stated, "For now, just keep an eye on him. If he's doing anything else he doesn't normally do, let me know. When that happens, I'm going to have to have a little chat with Merlin."


	4. Chapter 4: Confrontation

**Chapter 4: Confrontation**

Ever since King had approached Meliodas and brought up Gowther's peculiar behavior, the Dragon's Sin had been keeping a closer eye on the magenta-haired man. Whether it meant striking up a casual conversation with him or just observing him from another table in the bar, he watched him. He wanted to see these strange behaviors of Gowther's for himself. Nothing really presented itself to him up close or while speaking with him, but from afar he saw Gowther do everything King had described. He seemed to be much more sensitive to the smells he detected. Even when he was reading a good book, the smell of Ban's cooking could gain his attention from the other side of the bar.

Other things arose that started to concern Meliodas. Typically, Gowther was someone who followed the crowd; that or he observed others for a while and then decided what was necessary for him to do. This included sleeping. When everyone was up and moving, so was Gowther. When everyone went to sleep, so did Gowther. So Meliodas couldn't help but wonder what was up when he found Gowther sound asleep at a table, his head resting on top of an open book. It concerned him even more when he realized that it was the middle of the day when Gowther was usually out waiting tables with Elizabeth.

For a while, Meliodas simply brushed it off, thinking that Gowther might have worn himself out doing something else. But he found he could no longer ignore it when he caught Gowther sneaking out of the Boar Hat, clutching his stomach with one hand and covering his mouth with another. As King had described, he went into the woods a little was away from the bar and vomited all over the ground. That was when Meliodas knew he had no other choice but to speak with Merlin about this. As someone who was with Gowther on a regular basis, she'd likely know what was going on.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to ask Gowther about it?" King inquired as he spoke with Meliodas on the matter, "Surely he'd know more than what Merlin will be able to tell."

Meliodas let out a hum, "That might be true. Gowther's probably the most honest and outspoken person I know, but even if he does know something's up, he hasn't said anything about it by now. If that's the case, then it must be something bad. Merlin will definitely know what's going on. Who knows? It could be that even Gowther doesn't know what's wrong with him."

* * *

"What? Something's wrong with Gowther?"

Once the customers at the Boar Hat had left and the bar had closed for the day, Meliodas decided that it was time he spoke with Merlin about Gowther's peculiar behavior.

"Don't play dumb, Merlin," The Dragon's Sin warned, "King and I were able to see it. No doubt you can too."

Merlin wanted to hide it. She wanted to keep what she knew a secret as long as she could; only until she found a way to explain everything to Meliodas and the others. Then again, she felt she should have known the others would be able to see it before that happened. When Gowther's behavior changed, even slightly, it called for concern.

"Look . . . I'm not completely sure, yet," she said slowly, "A little over a month ago, he . . ."

" . . . He what?" Meliodas asked, "He couldn't have done anything too terrible. He's been with us the whole time."

Merlin crossed her arms, "I'm not even sure if Ban knows yet . . ."

"So this also has something to do with Ban."

"Kind of."

The Fox's Sin suddenly stood up from a table where he'd been drinking and slowly approached them. His head hung low and his shoulders sagged and hunched over more than they usually did.

"Come to think of it," he said, "This dreaded feeling keeps washing over me; has been for just about as long as Gowther's been acting strange. I think I did something wrong that night. It wouldn't surprise me, since I was drunk off my ass!"

Meliodas looked over to Merlin, "Is that true?"

"Yes," the Boar's Sin replied quietly, "I'll spare us all a long, drawn out explanation and just say it. Gowther slept with Ban."

Ban and Meliodas went silent. King drifted over from a table, where he'd been resting with his head on his pillow. Diane peered into the bar from a window outside with a shocked expression on her face.

"N-No way!" Ban suddenly shouted, "I know I said that I was drunk. but there's no way that I ever . . ."

"Trust me, Ban," Merlin cut in, "You _were_ just that drunk."

"Even so," King said, "How does that explain Gowther's weird behavior? Is he sick, or something?"

I knowing look crossed Meliodas's face.

"Hold up!" he gasped, "Sickness, increased appetite, sensitivity to smells, all on top of the fact he slept with Ban. Merlin . . . are you seriously suggesting that Gowther's . . ."

"Pregnant?" Merlin replied, "It would seem so."

"That's impossible!" Ban yelled, "Even if I did sleep with him, Gowther's a guy, isn't he?!"

Merlin nodded, "Gowther is male, for the most part, but we should also remember that he was originally a doll. Dolls have no definite sex. The great wizard that created Gowther designed him to look as though he could have been either male or female, but he wasn't sure which should be more pronounced. I worked closely with this wizard, and I was given the honor of at least choosing a name, and I chose "Gowther", and so he was created with more male characteristics, such as a lower voice, flat chest, and . . . "parts", I guess you could say. But no matter what, the female part of him that could have been chosen instead still remained inside of him. That's kind of why he strikes poses now and again or is willing to dress in the same uniform as Elizabeth."

The four other sins exchanged glances.

"Is Gowther aware of this?" Meliodas asked.

"Likely not," Merlin replied, "He hasn't said a word about what's been going on. Either he doesn't know about it or he's hiding it."

"Where is Gowther, anyway?" Diane piped up.

"He's with Elizabeth, helping her clean up the left over plates."

The five of them looked over to where Gowther and Elizabeth were. The Princess scraped the leftovers into Hawk's food bowl while the Goat's Sin cleaned them off so they'd be ready to use tomorrow.

"Ban sure knows how to cook!" Hawk squealed, "I don't know how I've lived without it for so long!"

Gowther tilted his head curiously, "I don't understand how you became so fat without it."

"Hey, watch it, Four-Eyes! I'll really mess you up for mocking me!"

"It was just a basic observation."

"You're really getting on my nerves now, pal!"

"Will you two stop fighting?" Elizabeth asked, "I'm sure Gowther didn't mean to make fun of you, Hawk."

Hawk let out a small snort as he swallowed another mouthful of food, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Gowther reached over to grab another plate from Elizabeth when out of the corner of his eye he noticed how everyone else was clustered together . . . and that they were staring at him.

"Huh, I wonder what's the matter with them?"


	5. Chapter 5: Do You Understand?

**Chapter 5: Do You Understand?**

"Gowther . . . we need to speak with you about something."

Merlin pulled Gowther towards the others just as he was done taking care of dishes. Their expressions still hadn't changed from when the Goat's Sin had first glanced over to them. Ban, especially, looked mortified and pale. He had heard him yelling at Meliodas a short while ago. Were they arguing again? Was that what this was about?

Elizabeth stood closely behind Gowther as he approached the others.

"What's this about?" he asked, "Why do you all look so worried?"

"We're worried about _you_ , Gowther." Merlin replied.

"About me? Was I doing something that was wrong?"

Meliodas approached him from the center of the group.

"Gowther, can you explain to us what's been going on these past few weeks? Why you're so sick, why you're always eating, why you get tired at random times during the day, and why every little smell seems to distract you, one way or another?"

Gowther blinked, "I don't know."

"Not a clue, huh?"

"I was aware that something was happening to me; that something was wrong. But I haven't found anything written in any of the books I've picked up. I've been able to rule out all deadly illnesses and infections, though."

Meliodas and Merlin exchanged glances, wondering if one should let the other be the one to explain.

The awkward silence gained Hawk's attention. The pig lifted his snout from his bowl of steaming leftovers and trotted over to where the six sins and princess were gathered.

"Hey, what's this?" he asked, "Did Gowther do something wrong? Why are we all staring at him?"

"Lord Meliodas," Elizabeth piped up, " _Is there_ something wrong with Lord Gowther?"

The Dragon's Sin let out a sigh, "I guess I'll come right out with it, then. Gowther, I know what happened between you and Ban. Merlin told us."

Gowther tilted his head, "Oh?"

"Furthermore, she has also given us a reasonable explanation for your behavior."

Ban let out a scoff, "Only _you_ can call it _reasonable_."

"Gowther . . ." Merlin said slowly, "Do you know what it means for a person to be pregnant?"

Gowther was silent for several moments before he responded.

"Nope."

A wave of disappointment and frustration washed over the group. Hawk and Elizabeth looked genuinely confused, as did Gowther.

"I should have figured as much." Merlin stated. The Boar's Sin walked over to a nearby shelf where a book had been pulled and was resting on its edge, "I got this in one of the towns we passed through, thinking it might be useful in the future. It's about pregnancy. I want you to read it cover to cover and come back where you're done."

Gowther took the book in his hands and nodded, "Okay."

* * *

Hours passed.

It was well into the evening, nearly early hours of the morning, and Gowther had been reading the book Merlin had given him for several hours. The others watched him closely, looking for a minute expression of shock or confusion; something to tell them that he was trying to comprehend the reason he was given the book and what it was telling him.

Ban strode over to Merlin.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked.

"What is it?"

"I mean, even if it's true and Gowther _is_ pregnant, would it be a good idea for him to bring a baby into this lot?"

"He has a point," King chimed in, "We're always moving and always battling one enemy or another. Sometimes it's a matter of life or death. Do we really want to worry about a child - a baby - on top of that?"

Merlin's gaze dropped down to Meliodas, "What do you think, Captain?"

Meliodas looked from her to Gowther. Ban and King did have a good point. The gang was always in conflict with one enemy or another. Some of the Holy Knights still blamed then for the betrayal ten years ago, Hendrickson could still be out there, the group Dawn Roar could be sent to hunt them at any time by anyone for any reason, and the Ten Commandments - a demon group - were a major threat, as well. On top of that, the Seven Deadly Sins were still searching for their seventh member, Escanor. It definitely wasn't anything an infant should be brought into.

Even so, Meliodas couldn't help but think that all of those problems were only rare occurrences. It wasn't every day that they were in a battle, nor was it every week. Life for the Seven Deadly Sins was mostly finding, reuniting, and celebrating with members and other fine people, like King Arthur of Camelot, Gilthunder, and Hauser. It wasn't an awful life, and now that he thought about it, Gowther wouldn't make an awful parent, either.

"In the end, does it really matter?" the Dragon's Sin inquired, "After all, this is Gowther we're talking about. His body, his child, and, ultimately, it's his move as to what should be done."

"Done."

In the time it took for Ban, King, and Meliodas to finish their discussion, Gowther had finished the book Merlin had given him. The Goat's Sin handed it back to her and sat down at a table beside the group.

"Do you understand everything, now?" Merlin asked him.

"Mostly," Gowther replied, "However, there's still something I don't understand."

"What is it?"

"According to the book, pregnancy can only occur in the female species, aside from seahorses. Even so, only the female species this the one that provides the egg, and in humans, giants, demons, and even some fairies the females go through a monthly menstrual cycle. As a man, I do not experience these things. How can I be pregnant?"

Merlin smiled, "Well, this definitely isn't in any sort of book that I can give you, but I've seen people like you - people that were created from dolls - and I've been able to make a few observations."

Merlin told Gowther of a few dolls made in the past that had been made predominantly male, just like him. In male dolls, with their female anatomy tucked away inside of them, menstruation didn't occur. Their bodies didn't release eggs until they detected the presence of another man's sperm. Much like in females, conception didn't always happen, births weren't always natural, and the children weren't always born alive.

"Do you understand everything now, Gowther?" Merlin asked again.

"Yes, I do."

"Now, what do you intend on doing about it?" Meliodas asked.

"Huh? I don't understand. What is there to do about it?"

"What I mean is, do you intend on keeping and carrying the child? If not, if you don't want to go through with it, there's always the option of abort-"

Gowther lifted his hand, silencing Meliodas.

"The child hasn't done anything wrong, has it?" he asked, "Therefore, doesn't it have just as much of a right to live as any of us do?"

"Is that your final answer, then? You're going to keep it?"

Gowther nodded, "I can't kill it."

Meliodas returned the nod, "If that's it, then, I guess . . . _congratulations_! Let's drink!"

Just like that, the bar was alive with the six members, along with Hawk and Elizabeth, talking and drinking quarts of hops all over again. Of course now Gowther knew he had to avoid consuming to alcoholic beverages. He hardly drank them to begin with, so he didn't mind. That night, everyone, even Ban, who was still slightly shocked by the news, celebrated the newest member that Gowther was carrying.


	6. Chapter 6: Lusty Night

**PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING ON WITH THE STORY!**

 **By popular demand, I've written a sex scene between Ban and Gowther for this chapter. I'm not the greatest at yaoi, so I DO consider this to be the best I'm able to do. If you have no interest in reading the following content, please skip down to where the italicized text ends or wait for the next chapter.**

 **YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Lusty Night**

 ** _*Flashback*_**

 _"Come on . . . In here."_

 _Gowther didn't know which he was focusing on the most; Ban's words or the way he was walking. Stumble left, stumble right, fall. Stumble right, stumble left, fall. He wondered if the Fox's Sin would even be able to find his way into bed to rest, he was so drunk._

 _"Are you sure we shouldn't have just let Hawk carry you to bed?" he asked, "It would be much faster and easier."_

 _"I already told you . . . I'm fi-fine," Ban muttered, "Hey, Gowther . . . I have a question."_

 _"What is it?"_

 _"Can I see your glasses?"_

 _"What? My glasses?"_

 _"Yeah, I just want to see them for a moment."_

 _Gowther didn't argue. Though he was hopelessly blind without the pair of light-framed glasses he always wore, arguing with Ban for what he didn't understand seemed to produce more negative consequences than not being able to see. Plus, they were inside the bar, a place he knew well. It was nowhere near as bad as the countless times he had lost his glasses during a battle._

 _The world around him instantly became blurred as Gowther slid off his glasses and handed them to Ban, or what he assumed was Ban. He could only make out the blotches of red he could only guess were his leather coat and pants._

 _Moments after he handed his glasses over to Ban, Gowther suddenly heard them land somewhere on the floor. For a moment, he thought he had missed Ban by a couple of feet, or that Ban had been too drunk to grab them._

 _"Ban, my glasses . . ."_

 _"Don't worry about them right now . . ." he could hear the Fox's Sin snicker._

 _Gowther tried to take a step forward, only to have his legs buckle from underneath him. His strength suddenly vanished. It almost felt like he was about to be put back into his doll form, but he didn't feel himself shrink and the world wasn't increasing in its size like it normally did when he was being put into his true form. He just felt weak, with no strength to move his body._

 _He felt someone catch him just as he was about to hit the floor. Ban's pale, muscular arms pulled him against his chest._

 _"Ban, what are you doing?" Gowther asked, his eyes trying to cut through the blur to find the Sin of Greed._

 _He received no reply. Instead, he was thrown onto the bed. A shadow looming over him made Gowther realize the position he was in. It also made him realize that the blotches of red he had seen in the room earlier were actually Ban's clothes lying on the floor, and that was likely where his glasses wound up._

 _Gowther felt one of Ban's hands cup one of his cheeks._

 _"You look a hell of a lot cuter without those stupid glasses of yours." he said._

 _"Ban, I can't move," Gowther stated, "What did you do?"_

 _That's when it clicked in Gowther's head that this was one of the Fox's Sin's abilities, Snatch. Ban was draining him of his strength and power to make himself stronger. Gowther was helpless._

 _"I've only taken enough power from you to keep you from turning into a doll,' Ban said, "You aren't the lustful type, but I most certainly can be."_

 _Gowther felt Ban's hands run down his body to his waist. His belt was loosened and his pants were pulled off. Next went his underwear._

 _"Is this what you meant by 'cute'?" the Goat's Sin asked, "Is this what you meant when you said that I was better than Elaine?"_

 _Ban sighed lustfully into his ear, "Yup."_

 _Gowther knew he didn't mean it. Ban's breath was still a toxic mixture of alcohol and vomit. He didn't know what he was saying or doing and it was likely he wouldn't remember any of it in the morning. But Gowther was weak because of him. Until his strength and powers had been restored, Ban was going to have his way with him._

 _Ban pushed Gowther as far as he could against the pillows and the back of the bed. The Sin of Greed's shadow continued to loom over him. Gowther honestly wished he had his glasses so he could see what was going on, because Ban wasn't doing anything; he had yet to touch him._

 _Gowther summoned the strength to lift his head, "Ban, what are y-"_

 _His words were cut off as he suddenly felt one of Ban's fingers slip inside of him. He let out a soft moan. Ban's larger size made it uncomfortable as he stretched him, and it hurt._

 _"I suspected as much," he heard Ban snigger, "You're not the lustful type, so you must've never been with anyone like this, have ya?"_

 _Gowther let out another moan as Ban inserted a second finger._

 _"The Sin of Lust is a virgin. Who woulda thought?"_

 _A third finger was added and Gowther's moans increased. He gasped as he felt Ban's finger thrust in and out, going deeper and forcefully spreading apart in an attempt to loosen him up. Now he really wished he could see. He was uncomfortable and hurting, and whenever Gowther felt any physical pain, finding something to focus on helped him through it until it wore off. All the times he'd been punched in the face by Ban or crushed by Diane and all the times he'd gotten injured in battle, focusing on an object like a tree, a building, a piece of furniture, or the sun helped him, and it was why wounds normally didn't bother him, because he wasn't paying attention to them._

 _Without his glasses, though, there was nothing to focus on. Everything was just a massive blur with random splotches of color. And so the only thing he could focus on was what Ban was doing to him._

 _At last, Ban pulled his fingers out of him. He pulled the magenta-haired man's arms up and around his neck and leaned in close to him._

 _"Judging from all the noise you were just making, I thought I should warn you . . . This might hurt."_

 _Gowther let out a gasp and arched his back as Ban forced himself into him. The Goat's Sin dug his nails into the flesh of his shoulders; the only strength he could summon into his arms. It **did** hurt. He felt as though he was about to be torn into two pieces. He felt as though he should be angry at Ban for using Snatch on him and taking advantage of his powerlessness like this. As Ban began pacing himself, he just wanted it to be over._

 _"Damn . . ." Ban grunted, "Seems like nothing I did actually **helped** you . . . You're still tight as f-fuck!"_

 _Ban muttered curses and incoherencies as he quickened his pace._

 _Gowther figured he should be glad that everyone else was still drinking and having a good time. The noise of their gossiping, laughter, and games was likely drowning out all the noise he and Ban were making inside the bedroom._

 _Gradually, Gowther's pain turned into pleasure. There was a spot Ban's member would brush against or hit directly that made the pleasure surge through him from his core outward. Once Ban had found where that spot was, he strove to hit it harder and faster each time._

 _Gowther's moaning increased as he felt himself growing closer to his release, something he realized he hadn't been able to do in his short lived "engagement" with Guila. It was definitely different being on the receiving end when he was having sex._

 _"Oh, shit!"_

 _Ban pinned Gowther down by his shoulders, trying as hard as he could to keep himself from dislocating them or tearing them open as his hips crashed against his. He shuddered, letting out a harsh sigh as he came inside of Gowther. The Sin of Lust soon followed, his nails leaving red trails behind them as the dragged down his ribs and fell onto to bed. Exhausted along with Ban's ability Snatch still affecting him, Gowther closed his eyes and fell asleep as Ban laid down beside him, pulling him into his arms._

 _When Gowther woke up again, it was morning. Of course, that meant nothing as he realized he still wasn't wearing his glasses. He was still nude from the waist down, not to mention he was incredibly sore from the night before._

 _"I don't think that's what you meant by 'cute'," Gowther said quietly to himself, "Now, Ban put my glasses . . . where?"_

 _Gowther remembered hearing his glasses land somewhere on the floor. He remembered trying to toss them to **him** , as the Sin of Greed had asked for them, and he remembered trying to look through the blurriness to identify Ban's red leather jacket and pants._

 _"Ah, that's right!"_

 _Gowther lowered himself to the floor, inching his way around the room until he found the splotch of red that he could only assume were Ban's clothes. He put his hand out in front of him trying to feel for his thin-framed spectacles._

 _"Glasses . . . glasses . . . glasses . . ."_

 _Finally, after digging into the pile a bit, his hands felt one of the lenses. He pulled them from the pile and slid them onto his face. It took a couple of seconds for his eyes to adjust, but he was relieved that he could finally see where he was, what he was doing, and what was going on._

 _He found his pants and his underwear and put them on. Gowther glanced over to Ban, who was still deeply asleep. His lower half was still covered with a blanket, but aside from that Gowther knew the Fox's Sin was butt-naked underneath. He looked down at the red leather clothes at his feet and picked them up. Gowther tediously folded each garment and sat them on a chair that was in the room._

 _Outside in the bar, it was quiet. It was likely that it was still early and everyone else was still asleep. Gowther figured this was a good thing. It would probably look awkward if everyone saw him walk out of that room with Ban sleeping naked inside._

 _Gowther quietly exited the bedroom. He grabbed a book from the bookshelf and took a seat at his usual bar stool in front of the wall of hops, passing the time by reading as he waited for everyone else to wake up._

* * *

Gowther's eyes blinked open.

It was still the middle of the night, but the entire bar was flooded in the light of the full moon.

To think he'd have a dream about that night; it was strange. He pushed his glasses up in front of his eyes, as it seemed they had slid down while he was sleeping. He was curled up on the floor next to King with his head resting on his green spotted pillow. The fairy must not have minded, or he would have definitely pulled it away and moved somewhere else.

Surprisingly, King was still awake. He glanced over to Gowther and cocked a curious brow at him.

"What the hell were you dreaming about?"

Gowther only rested his head back down on the pillow and closed his eyes once more.

"It's nothing."


	7. Chapter 7:The Goat's Sin's First Emotion

**Chapter 7: The Goat's Sin's First Emotion**

"What? You think it was rape?"

It had been a little over a week since it had been announced that Gowther was pregnant, and the members of the Seven Deadly Sins had been watching the Goat's Sin closely, looking for the signs and symptoms for an undoubted confirmation. But, in all honesty, to most, the signs were already showing themselves. While Gowther didn't physically look pregnant, his morning sickness and increased smell sensitivity more than made up for it, though everyone knew that overtime the baby bump would start presenting itself.

Aside from that, Gowther didn't show any symptoms. He still maintained a neutral preference to food, eating whatever was put on a plate in from of him regardless if he threw it back up a few minutes later or not. Just as well, he wasn't experiencing any mood swings. Everyone wondered if Gowther even had a mood to speak of. He could be curious at times and became frustrated whenever he lost his glasses, as well as confused, but Gowther had never been the type to be happy, angry, sad, or scared about anything. Whether or not he was capable of feeling those emotions, nobody knew for sure. It was simply a matter of waiting and finding out.

However, all these things aside and aside from knowing what had happened and how it happened from Merlin's explanation, King found himself, once again, concerned about the Sin of Lust.

"Yeah," the fairy said to Meliodas as they hunted for food for the Boar Hat's meals, "Call it a hunch, but if Gowther's as clueless as I think he is, then he must've never given Ban any sort of permission to touch him, right?"

Meliodas shrugged, "Well, from the sounds of it, he didn't exactly say no. What makes you think he was raped?"

"Gowther mutters in his sleep a lot," King explained, "I've known this for quite some time, but normally it was quotes from the books he'd read before bed. But for the past few days, he's been muttering incoherencies. He tosses and turns in his sleep, like he's fighting something off. It was annoying at first, because I normally woke up to my pillow being pulled out from under me, but when I started listening to it a little bit, I can't help but feel like it's got something to do with what Ban did to him."

King did have a point. While it was possible Gowther understood the position he'd been put in, even he didn't expect to become pregnant. He hadn't even known what pregnancy was, and it was likely that the only reason he knew what sex was was all due to his short-lived relationship with Guila. So it might have been possible that what Ban had done to him had been unwanted and that the reoccurring dreams were what was making the Goat's Sin realize it was never his intention when all he wanted was to understand what Ban had meant by referring to him as cute.

"We can ask Gowther about it when we get back," Meliodas said to King, "If it really is bothering him that much, then maybe he can shed some light on what might be going on inside his head."

* * *

It wasn't unusual for Ban to get drunk on a daily basis, but normally he saved it for the evening hours when the Boar Hat was closed and he didn't have any customers to serve. That way, he could drink himself to sleep and wake up in time to be ready for the next day's events, whatever that might be; serving customers, fighting another enemy, or searching for leads as to where Escanor could be. So many were frustrated when the Sin of Greed was found slumped over a table with an empty bottle of ale next to him. Merlin, Diane, Elizabeth, and Hawk were less than pleased to learn that their cook had drunk himself out of his mind. And Gowther . . . well, Gowther minded his own business, polishing his glasses and straightening out his uniform before the bar opened its doors.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Diane complained as she peeked in through a window, "The bar's going to pen soon, and our cook's drunk!"

"At this rate, Meliodas will have to do the cooking," Merlin chimed in.

Hawk let out a terrified squeal, "No! Anything but that!"

The pig's teeth clamped down on one of Ban's pant legs and he began tugging on it desperately.

"Come on! Come on, Ban! Snap out of it! The Captain's cooking always gives me bad diarrhea and gas! You can't make me go through that!"

Ban let out a yawn as he rolled over off of the table and on top of Hawk, "Carry me to bed."

" _B-Bed_?! But you _just got up_!"

"Pipe down and carry me to bed already."

Hawk let his hooves slide out from under him as he stubbornly laid down in the middle of the floor, "You carry yourself to bed."

"C'mon, Master . . . Ain't we friends? Friends carry friends to bed so they can sleep off their hangover."

"But don't you normally sleep on the floor, anyways?"

Ban groaned irritably, "Fine . . ."

The Fox's Sin picked himself up and swayed as he managed to his feet. He only took a few steps forward before he saw Gowther sitting at a table reading, waiting for the bar to open like he always did. Ban smiled slyly and staggered towards him.

"Maybe Captain Leftovers won't carry me to bed, but I'm sure Cutie over here won't mind . . ."

 ** _SMACK!_**

It wasn't Merlin. It wasn't Elizabeth. I most certainly wasn't Diane. Of all the people Ban had been struck by, this was a first. Whether it was because what the Fox's Sin had said set him off, or for some other reason, nobody knew, but Gowther had stood suddenly from his seat a table and had slapped Ban across the face.

The entire bar fell silent. Ban stood in front of Gowther, stunned, as his hand reached up to rub his stinging cheek. Gowther's facial expressions hadn't changed, but he was tense. It seemed like after what had happened, and now that he was pregnant, the Goat's Sin was determined to keep history from repeating himself.

Elizabeth slowly approached the magenta-haired man, "Lord Gowther, what's wrong? Why did you do that?"

"Because he doesn't mean it," Gowther replied, slowly lowering himself back at his table and placing his hands on his lap, "It's not what he means by 'cute'. It's wrong."

Merlin rested a hand on his shoulder, "You're saying you got angry with Ban?"

Gowther tilted his head, stumped, "I don't know."

The Boar's Sin lifted one of Gowther's hands, the one with her #174 prototype 'Peace Amulet" clamped around his wrist. Based on what she could detect from the magic it put off, it was still fully functioning; no less worn out than when she had first put it on him. It must have made Gowther genuinely upset if he had the nerve in him to strike Ban, which he would have only done for self-defense purposes otherwise.

"He was just defending himself, Ban," Merlin explained, "Maybe if you wouldn't become so drunk, you wouldn't become so reckless and we wouldn't have these problems."

"Yeah, maybe . . ." Ban turned back around and collapsed on top of Hawk, "Let's go, Master."

Hawk let out a frustrated snort and drug Ban over to a nearby corner where he abruptly bucked him off of his back and onto the floor.

"Here's good, right?"

Ban let out a small groan, "Close enough."

Merlin stepped outside and leaned against a tree next to Diane.

"What was that all about?" the giantess asked.

"Gowther got a little upset with Ban, that all."

"Um, did I hear you right? Did you say Gowther got _upset_?"

"That's what I said."

"But Gowther _never_ gets upset . . . or _anything_ emotional, for that matter!"

"Well, it seemed more like he was defending himself from Ban, so what happened a month ago wouldn't happen again."

No matter how Merlin tried to word it, it was a simple fact that she knew full-well but couldn't exactly wrap her head around. It wasn't just a reflex for Gowther to strike Ban the way he did. He had definitely drawn back away from him and had hit Ban with quite a bit of force. Not to mention his reason for doing what he did. Merlin didn't doubt it was out of anger and fear from what had happened the last time.

Anger and fear. Two emotions Gowther hadn't experienced before, nor fully understood. It was all coming together. Merlin had a certain theory that had been weighing heavily on her mind for quite some time, and it might just be that Gowther's pregnancy could prove her theory right or not.

The thought that Gowther might have been created with a heart, and the quest the great wizard had sent him out on might be for nothing.


	8. Chapter 8: Opening Hours

**Chapter 8: Opening Hours**

Meliodas wasn't pleased to return to the Boar Hat to a drunken cook. With Ban sleeping off his hangover, he realized - much to his annoyance- that he'd have to be the one doing the cooking. Sales were sure to go down. On top of that, there was concern about Gowther. Indeed, there was never a dull moment for the owner of a bar and the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins.

The Dragon's Sin had been informed about what had happened while he had been out hunting with King. Merlin explained how Ban had approached Gowther, how Gowther had struck him, and the excuse he gave. Meliodas had to agree that it was unlike Gowther to act as he did.

"Maybe it's similar to what you'd call a mood swing," he stated.

"That appears to be the case," Merlin said.

"In any event, we should probably have Ban cut back on his drinking. I don't know what's gotten into him. Normally, drunk or not, he's always going on about Elaine. I don't know what would make him want to lay a hand on Gowther. Plus, I won't stand for this bar's cook always getting trashed. Something's gotta be done."

Merlin nodded, "I agree."

Suddenly, the bar's front doors opened. A well-built man with light pink hair stepped in.

"Are you guys open?" he asked, smiling.

"Come on in, Gil," Meliodas said with a grin, "We're just opening up."

Gilthunder sat down at a table. He smiled at Elizabeth as she set down a mug of ale beside him.

"Looks like you're doing very well in this place," he remarked.

"Oh, yes," Elizabeth replied, "I like it here. Everyone's been so kind to me."

"That's good to here," Gilthunder's gaze cut across the room to where Gowther sat, waiting for more customers to fill the bar, "And that one, there, is he always so distant?"

"Ah, Gowther's just thinking of ways to help Diane dawn in business!" Meliodas stated, "Isn't that right, Gowther?"

Gowther stood from his chair, spun around, kicked up a heel, and struck a pose, "That is correct!"

"Well, what are you waiting for?" the Dragon's Sin gestured towards the door, "Off you go!"

"Right away, Captain!"

Gowther trotted out the door and instantly went looking for Diane. He found the giantess sprawled out behind the Boar Hat, gazing up at the sky. She sat up and smiled at him as he made his way towards her.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, "Shouldn't you be waiting tables with Elizabeth?"

"Captain wanted me to come out here."

"Why?"

"I do not know, but before that he was talking about you, so I assume that has something to do with it."

Diane blushed, "Captain was talking about me?"

"Yeah. Something about drawing in more business. Maybe that's what he wanted me to help with."

The Sin of Envy laid back down in the grass, "I dunno if you've got any ideas, because I sure don't."

Gowther cocked his head to the side curiously, "Maybe if you weren't so big . . ."

Diane snapped and slammed her fist down on top of the magenta-haired man.

"Gowther, you're such an idiot! You're _so **mean**_! Why do you have to say such awful things about me?! Why?! Just shut up, will you?!"

With each screech, she brought her fists down harder on Gowther. The force of her blows left indentations in the ground and rattled the surrounding trees. Much like Meliodas, Diane's rage was a force to be reckoned with.

The giantess gasped when she suddenly remembered the state of body the Sin of Lust was in. She forced herself to pull her arms back and dug Gowther out of the dirt and rocks.

"I'm so, so sorry Gowther!" she cried, "Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay!"

Gowther suddenly appeared out of a clump of soil that sat in the center of Diane's palm. He shook the dirt from his hair and did his best to wipe it off of his uniform.

"Gowther, are you hurt?!" Diane asked with heavy concern.

"I'm okay," the Goat's Sin replied casually, "But I don't think I can say the same about my uniform."

"I-is the baby okay?"

Gowther rested a hand over his abdomen, "Everything feels all right."

Diane let out a sigh of relief, "That's good. I don't know what I would have done if something bad happened because of me. Sometimes I just can't control myself."

"I'm very sorry. I did not mean to make you upset."

"Don't worry about it. I just overreacted, that's all," Diane set Gowther back on the ground, "Have you thought of anything that might attract customers?"

Gowther thought back to the days when he was with Pelliot, the blond-haired, broken-hearted boy whom he had left behind when he rejoined the Seven Deadly Sins. He thought of the travelling entertainer that made the boy so happy, and that entertainer sure drew in a crowd. He remembered seeing this on a number of occasions with other travelling entertainers he had seen over the past years. Singing, dancing, fighting, magic tricks, plays; they were the things humans seemed to be easily entertained by, in both real life and in the books he read.

However, Gowther knew from personal experience that Diane couldn't exactly sing, or fight - for show, at least - do magic tricks, or be an actress. But . . .

"What about dancing?"

Diane glanced at Gowther questioningly, "What are you talking about?"

"I've never seen you dance before. Do you know how to dance?"

"Not really. I'd just wind up causing an earthquake, anyways."

Gowther sat back down beside Diane in the center of the massive crater her blows on him had created.

"I just don't know, then."

* * *

"So you're expecting a new addition to the team, huh?"

Meliodas couldn't keep it from Gil. The Holy Knight was a regular at the Boar Hat, and he had known the man for almost his entire life. Gilthunder didn't know Gowther all that well, aside from what he had seen from him on the battle field, but he was interested in getting to know the lot of them better. That included the Goat's Sin of Lust.

At first, Gil thought Gowther being pregnant was a joke the Dragon's Sin was trying to play on him, but it didn't take long in their conversation for him to realize that he was being completely serious.

"Yup," Meliodas replied, "Merlin's guessing he's about six or seven weeks pregnant now."

"That explains why he isn't showing," Gil stated, "Who's the father?"

"Ban."

Gil cocked a curious brow, "Wasn't he in love with some fairy a while back? What happened to her?"

"Elaine died. Ban has held onto his feelings for her for quite some time. I don't know what's gotten into him recently. He tried coming onto Gowther today, and he got slapped for it."

"Maybe all that alcohol he's been drinking has gone to his head," Gilthunder said as he took a sip from his mug.

"Maybe," Meliodas sighed, "Anyways, what brings you here? You're a regular customer, and all, but you normally don't show up right when we open. Has something happened?"

Gil slowly set down his mug.

"It's about Gowther, actually. Hauser and I have been hearing some suspicious rumors circling around. Apparently, someone from a small village nearby quarreled with him a while back and this guy has hired people to track him down and capture him."

Meliodas chuckled, "Sounds like a vicious rumor, to me. Gowther's cluelessness has made people upset in the past, but it's never anything worth capturing him for."

"I just thought I should warn you. If the rumors are true, especially with a baby on the way, I think it would be a good idea to keep a close eye on Gowther. You guys have really built up your reputations since defeating Hendrickson. I'd hate to see it crumble again because some punk has some unfinished business."

Gilthunder felt Meliodas deliver a light blow to the top of his head, much like he used to when the Holy Knight was still his apprentice.

"What was that for?" Gil asked.

"You worry too much, you know that?" Meliodas remarked as he straightened himself, "We're a pretty close-knit lot over here. Trust me, if anyone wants to capture Gowther, they've gotta go through the five of us first. Not to mention Gowther's pretty powerful himself. It'd take a lot to blow through all of that."


	9. Chapter 9: Deciding to Move On

**Chapter 9: Deciding to Move On**

Regardless of what he had said to Gilthunder, Meliodas didn't take the Holy Knight's warning lightly. It didn't matter that the five of them were capable of protecting Gowther, and it didn't matter if Gowther was capable of protecting himself. The child the Sin of Lust was carrying wasn't worth risking if someone was planning to capture him. So it was decided that once the bar closed up for the night, the Seven Deadly Sins would be on the move, once more.

This would not only ensure that they'd distance themselves from whoever was planning to capture Gowther, it also allowed the team to move forward trying to find Escanor. The Sin of Pride meant just as much to them as any other member, and they knew he would want to be there for Gowther, as well. Escanor had been the one to help Merlin teach the Goat's Sin how to read and how to interact with the others when the doll had joined the team. They had a fairly close friendship, even if Gowther couldn't understand what being a friend meant.

Ban had woken up from his hungover nap in the middle of the day, right when the bar was starting to fill up with the after-work rush. The Sin of Greed had taken two steps from his corner on the floor before Meliodas shouted to him from across the room.

"Great! You're up! We have orders waiting, now let's go!"

"Can't it wait, Captain?" Ban asked, trying to shake the grogginess from his head, "At least let me have a drink before . . ."

"No can do, Ban. You've had more than enough for the day, _and_ you got trashed! I'm sorry to say this, but we're cutting you off of the alcohol for a little while."

Ban angrily slammed his hands down on the nearest table, spilling drinks and knocking over plates of food.

"What?! You're cutting me off? Why? My drinking isn't _that_ bad!"

Meliodas rolled his eyes, "Believe me, Ban. It's that bad. I'll explain everything later, but right now we have orders to fill. Chop, chop!"

"But . . ."

"You might wanna listen to him, Ban," Hawk piped up as he was cleaning the spilled food off of the floor, "Those guys whose plates and drinks you knocked over don't look too happy."

Several men who were sitting at the table glared menacingly at the Fox's Sin. Ban was quick to back away and hurry behind the counter with Meliodas.

"I'll get right on those orders, Captain."

* * *

The Boar Hat didn't catch a break until the bar closed for the day. Normally, the evening routine was simple: Elizabeth and Gowther cleaned up the dishes, Ban put away the food, Meliodas locked up, and everyone else got ready for bed. Hawk slept in the kitchen, Meliodas and Elizabeth shared the downstairs bedroom, Ban and King slept on the top floor, and Merlin had agreed to share the storage room on the third floor with Gowther. With the amount of people that were occupying the Boar Hat, it took time for everyone to have sleeping arrangements that they were happy with.

After what Gilthunder had said earlier that day, however, Meliodas decided to call a team meeting to let the others know that it was time to move on. He held them back from going off to bed. They all clustered around the counter in front of the Dragon's Sin, rather curious as to what was about to happen.

"Well, Captain, let's hear it," Ban said irritably, crossing his arms, "What's going on?"

"Is it about Escanor?" King asked.

"Not really," Meliodas replied, "Tomorrow, we're moving on to the next town, so don't bother opening up."

"But why?" Ban asked, "It's not like anyone is coming after us anymore."

"Don't be so sure about that. Gilthunder was in here today. Apparently, there's a rumor going around that someone's planning on capturing Gowther."

Heads turned to the magenta-haired man, who sat quietly on his usual bar stool at the counter.

"Did I do something wrong?" he inquired.

"Not that I'm aware of," Meliodas replied, "But I guess someone you might have fought with in the past still holds something against you."

"Big deal," Ban stated, "People have gone after us before and we've been able to stop them."

King nodded in agreement, "Besides, what if this _is_ all just a rumor? We'd be closing up shop and moving on for nothing. The most we could possibly gain is finding Escanor, and who knows where that guy could be."

"Let's not just think about ourselves, here," Merlin piped up, "If someone is planning on capturing Gowther and if they're tracking us, then staying here might just make it easier for these people to find him. That may put him and the baby in danger."

Ban scoffed, "Like a giant ass pig carrying a bar on its back is keeping a low profile! If they're nearby, they'll see us from miles away. Not to mention the footprints she leaves behind!"

Merlin turned to Gowther, "What do you think?"

Gowther found himself thinking back to his days spent with Pelliot, once more. Back then, he knew the safety of the boy came before his own. His father had made that perfectly clear. It was why he had always accompanied him on his little adventures with his friends, and it'd been why he threw himself into harm's way when Pelliot had almost been crushed by the Holy Knight Dale. Now didn't seem to be much different.

"Whether these rumors are true or not, if we stay, we risk these people finding us," Gowther finally spoke, "If we leave - even if Hawk's Mama is seen - it will take those people much longer to catch up to her, especially if they're travelling on foot."

Hawk snorted happily, "He's right, y'know! My mom can move very fast!"

"It's better if we go. I don't think we can afford to just think of ourselves with this one."

Meliodas nodded, "It's decided, then! We leave first thing in the morning."

"Well, if that's that, then I'm going to bed," Ban said.

"Same here," Merlin chimed in.

As the sins began to disperse to their rooms, King approached Gowther with his pillow in his hands.

"You can use my chastiefol for one more night," he said.

"Me?" Gowther inquired, "But I thought you didn't like other people using it. I thought you were just sharing it until Captain found us all a place to sleep."

King rolled his eyes and threw the spotted pillow at him.

"Just take it already, would you?" he snapped, "Before I change my mind!"

Gowther shrugged, "If you insist . . ."

The Goat's Sin tucked the pillow under his arm and slowly made his way with Merlin up to the storage room, where they slept.

Elizabeth was about to enter her and Meliodas's bedroom, when she realized the Dragon's Sin wasn't following closely behind here like he always did.

"Aren't you coming, Lord Meliodas?" she asked him.

"Later," the Sin of Wrath replied as he started towards the stairway that led to the upstairs rooms, "There's something that I need to do, first."

Meliodas made his way upstairs towards the ladder that led to the third floor storage room. Merlin was waiting for him there with her arms crossed as she leaned against a nearby wall.

"How long will it be before he actually falls asleep?" he asked.

"Not long," Merlin replied, "He just opened a book. Give it a half hour."

And so they waited.


	10. Chapter 10: Feelings That I Don't Know

**Chapter 10: Feelings That I Don't Know**

". . .-ther . . . -owther . . . Gowther! Hey, Gowther, wake up!"

Meliodas braced himself, sensing that the Sin of Lust would wake up swinging. From his reaction to Ban alone, the Dragon's Sin held a hand out in front of him as Gowther started to wake from his nightmare.

As Merlin had predicted, it had only taken approximately a half hour for the Goat's Sin to fall asleep, the book he'd been reading resting on his chest and still wide open. It was only a few minutes after that that Gowther started dreaming, and by no means was it a good dream, either. He'd toss and turn, muttering . . . not exactly words, but sounds of distress; moaning, gasping, and whining.

As Meliodas tried to shake Gowther out of his dream, the Goat's Sin's eyes snapped open. His arm made impact with the Sin of Wrath's hand. He didn't sweat or pant like some normally did when just waking up from a nightmare. Instead, Gowther still carried his usual, bewildered gaze as he looked up at Meliodas. Merlin stood beside him, heavy concern painter her face.

"Captain? What are you doing here?" Gowther inquired, "Is something the matter?"

"That's what I was about to ask you," Meliodas replied, "You definitely woke with a start."

Gowther held King's chastiefol against his chest, the massive green pillow he'd been resting on only a few seconds before.

"A bad dream."

"You must be having a lot of bad dreams," Merlin commented, "I think you've been having them almost every night."

"And according to King, this must've been going on for _at least_ a week," Meliodas chimed in, "Care to explain?"

Gowther shook his head, "I can't."

"Can you at least tell us what these dreams are about?"

The Goat's Sin's head seemed to sink into the chastiefol a bit, either out of hopeless embarrassment or that rare fearful vibe the doll had been putting off when he slapped Ban.

"Does it have something to do with what Ban did?" Meliodas asked.

Gowther nodded, "It does."

Meliodas let out a sigh as he made his way back towards the ladder down to the second floor.

"Meet me in the bar while I go wake up Ban," he said, "There are some issues it seems we need to put to rest."

* * *

Telling Gowther that he was going to wake up Ban was easier said than done. Meliodas tried the easier methods; shaking the Sin of Greed and calling out for him to wake up, but it seemed all this did was cause Ban to mumble a bit and bat back at the Dragon's Sin with flailing limbs.

Meliodas looked to King, who lay sprawled out in a hammock.

"Hey, King! Can I have a hand here?"

"Sorry, Captain," King muttered, on the verge of falling asleep, "Even I can't get him up without dragging him out of bed by the ears first."

"Then I guess I have no choice . . ."

Meliodas went around to the other side of Ban's bed. He stuffed his hands under the mattress and lifted up one side, flipping the Fox's Sin off of the bed and onto the floor with a loud thump.

"What . . . the _hell_ , Captain?" Ban growled, "What was _that_ for?"

"We need to talk about something," Meliodas replied, "Come down to the bar with me."

As Meliodas started downstairs, Ban simply curled up again on the floor and began drifting off to sleep.

"That means **_now_** , Ban!" the Dragon's Sin snarled.

"Okay, okay, okay!" the Sin of Greed groaned irritably as he slowly stood up, "Sheesh! I'm not going to get any sleep tonight, am I?"

Ban dawdled down the stairs and into the bar, where Meliodas sat with Gowther, waiting for him at a table. The Sin of Lust looked as though he were spaced out; lost in his own thoughts, like always. Meliodas, on the other hand, looked impatient; like he had a thousand things on his mind. In all honesty, Ban wouldn't have been surprised if that were the case.

The Fox's Sin wandered to the table where the two sins sat and settled down in a seat across from them.

"So what's this about, Captain?" he asked, "I imagine you didn't flip my ass out of bed for nothin'."

"It's about what happened between you and Gowther," Meliodas started.

"I should've known that's why Four Eyes was down here, but we've been over this. I was drunk; totally shit-faced and out of it. I wouldn't have slept with him otherwise."

"But even when you get drunk, Gowther's never usually your object of sexual interest. You're usually going on about Elaine until you drink yourself to sleep, and even when you sleep you keep going on about Elaine. But it looks like Elaine's been replaced by Gowther, hasn't she? What I want to know is why."

Ban scoffed, "How should I know? I don't know what I'm doing half of the time I'm drunk, anyways."

"Yet somehow you magically come back to your senses when Gowther smacks the shit out of you?"

Ban was quiet. The truth was that wasn't it at all. The Fox's Sin's "fascination" with Gowther didn't end when his hangover went away. In fact, especially after finding the Sin of Lust was pregnant, he felt more of his affection being drawn towards the magenta-haired man, even if from other people's point of view it was only a microscopic amount. But taking out his sexual frustration on him was wrong, and he knew it.

"I don't know," Ban finally said, "I mean, I never intended for this to happen. I don't know what made me want to sleep with Gowther, and how I did it - taking away his strength so he couldn't fight me - it was definitely a stupid move. I think my hope that Elaine and I will meet again one day is becoming more of an impossibility the more time that passes. I don't know what it is about Gowther, but something about him comforts me . . . maybe even gives me a little bit of hope that life isn't all bad, kind of like Elaine did," Ban let out an exhausted sigh as he finished his explanation, "It's a stupidly sappy story, but that's what I've finally figured out."

Meliodas gave a curt nod, "I see. And how do you feel about all of this, Gowther?"

The Goat's Sin tilted his head with a questioning look on his face.

"Right," the Sin of Wrath corrected himself, "I guess you can't exactly understand how you feel. What do you _think_ about all of this?"

"I understand a bit more about how Ban was feeling, I think," Gowther replied, "In my dreams, I was pinned down and unable to move, just as I was all those weeks ago. I think my tossing and turning was me trying to fight and get away from him. My muttering was me trying to tell him to stop."

"Do you have a point anywhere in this explanation?"

"I believe the uneasiness i felt then made me realize that I didn't want it to happen, and my dreams are a constant reminder of that. No matter what emotions or disoriented thoughts might have caused Ban to do it, keeping my guard up might ensure that it won't happen again."

A pondering look settled on Meliodas's face, "In other words . . . you're afraid?"

"I don't understand."

"Like when Ban forced you to sleep with him, the reason you're having nightmares and the reason you defended yourself from him earlier today when he was drunk was because you're afraid of something like that happening again."

Gowther stared blankly at the Dragon's Sin for several long seconds before his gaze shifted to his lap.

"Perhaps you are right about that, Captain. I think I _was_ afraid."

"Wow!" Ban stated, "That's a first for you, isn't it?"

"Yes, and I think I'm still afraid."

"What about?" Meliodas asked.

"Of what might happen if Ban gets drunk again, of becoming a parent, of not knowing what might be next - especially now that we're moving on again and that there could be someone after us because of me. It all makes me . . . afraid."

Meliodas smirked, "Aw, well you won't have to worry about Ban getting drunk anytime soon. We're cutting him off of the alcohol until the baby comes."

Ban stood up quickly from his seat, "And who decided _this_ insane stretch of time?!"

The Sin of wrath smiled, "I did. Just now! For Gowther's sake, as well as your own."

Ban groaned irritably as he forced himself to sit down, "Fine . . ."

"And don't worry about all that other stuff," Meliodas continued, slinging an arm around Gowther's shoulders, "We're all a team, and we'll help however we can! Right, Ban?"

"Sure thing!"

Gowther looked from Meliodas to Ban before shifting back to his previous spaced out state.

"Feel better?" Meliodas asked.

Gowther tilted his head in though before nodding, "Yeah . . . I think I do feel better."

Hawk suddenly trotted over to them from behind the counter.

"Good," he snorted irritably, "Then you can all go back to bed now! It's impossible for me to sleep with all your noise!"

Ban's mouth stretched in a wide yawn, "Sounds good to me."

Gowther nodded in agreement as he started towards the stairs, "Good night, Captain Leftovers."

"That's right," Meliodas said, "I told Elizabeth I wouldn't come to bed until later. Well then . . ."

" _NOT. SO. FAST!_ "

Hawk was quick to pull out a rope and wrap it around the Dragon's Sin multiple times before tying the ends in a tight knot. This had been the nightly routine between the Leftovers Captain and the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins. The pig didn't trust Meliodas with sleeping in the same bed as Elizabeth, and so he had resorted to binding his arms close to his body so he could never lay a hand on her while she slept.

"There," Hawk said, nudging him towards the bedroom door, "Now you can go to bed!"


	11. Chapter 11: Bonding

**Chapter 11: Bonding**

"Come _on_ , Captain! Just _one drink_!"

"For the last time, Ban, I said no!"

Quitting alcohol for the remainder of Gowther's pregnancy turned out to be more of a struggle for Ban than anyone could have predicted. The Seven Deadly Sins knew he was addicted to alcohol, but they could have never imagined that after only two days this is what he would be like. Ban looked at the bottles of ale on the shelves as if he were separated from them by an ocean. He watched beer get poured into steins as if it were the work of a god. If that hadn't been bad enough, Hawk had also caught him trying to sneak bottles of beer and wine into his and King's bedroom.

Meliodas wasn't pleased. It seemed as though alcohol was all the Fox's Sin could think about, and he'd only been cut off for _two days_! How was he going to survive another eight months of this?

"He's doing it for your own good, you know?" Merlin stated, "And keeping you sober seems to be giving Gowther some peace of mind. With all that's been happening, it's the least we can ask for."

"Where is Gowther, anyways?" King asked, looking around the bar, "I haven't seen him for a while."

"Ah, he started getting sick again when Hawk's Mama took off at a gallop this morning," Meliodas explained, "He's probably puking out his guts outside."

"He can't keep down much of anything that he eats, can he?" Hawk whined irritably, "He's wasting Ban's good cooking!"

Meliodas chuckled, "Perhaps you're right. Maybe a nice pork roast would soothe his stomach."

A shiver ran through Hawk's body and he instantly straightened himself up, "Oh, no! I'm sure everything's fine! It's just his wacky hormones that are making him sick."

"That's what I thought. Anyways, Ban, I think it's your turn to go see if Gowther's okay."

The Fox's Sin crossed his arms, "Why me? If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a little rough around the edges. I'm not exactly one for comforting people."

"We can comfort Gowther all we want," Merlin said, "But at the end of the day, he doesn't need me, Diane, King, Elizabeth, or the Captain. The person that he really needs is you."

"You are the father, after all," King chimed in, "You should start taking responsibility for what you've done. You hardly talk to Gowther. It's time to get involved a little bit."

Ban let out an irritated scoff. Merlin, Meliodas, King, and even hawk were giving him the same look. He could try to make excuses all he wanted. No matter what he'd try to pull, he'd be the one that would be going out to comfort Gowther, even if it was for nothing but his bout of morning sickness.

"Fine," he finally said, turning towards the door, "I'll go find Four Eyes and see what I can do."

Ban hated having to be talked into things, especially now; involving Gowther. The Goat's Sin hadn't so much as batted an eye to him since they talked to Meliodas. What were the odds that Gowther would even listen to Ban, let alone give him the opportunity to comfort him? Would he let him in?

* * *

Gowther was sprawled out across Hawk's Mama's muzzle. His head hung over the edge of her snout, his arms hanging lazily at his sides. He didn't want to risk getting vomit on her, so his simply stayed in that position until his stomach stopped flipping. In all honesty, maybe it would be easier if he simply stayed near a bucket inside so he didn't have to be alone, but it felt like the fresh air outside was helping quite a bit, and being out of the way while he was beings sick was likely just as good for the group as it was for himself.

Hawk's Mama's snout twitched as she let out a roaring grunt, shaking Gowther's motionless form.

"I'll be all right," Gowther said to her, patting her muzzle, "Once we stop moving, my stomach should settle again."

Hawk's Mama's nostrils flared in a small snort in response before continuing on.

Ban listened in on the short conversation as he stepped out of the bar. He slowly strode over to Gowther and sat down beside him.

"I didn't know you could understand this giant-ass pig," he commented.

"I can't . . ." Gowther replied quietly, ". . . Just needed someone to talk to."

"Well, I'm all ears if you wanna talk."

Gowther let out a small groan as he felt his stomach flip, but he had already thrown up all he'd eaten earlier that morning, leaving him with nothing left to cough up and dry-heaving. Not seeing much more that he could do about the situation, Ban gently rubbed Gowther's back reassuringly.

"I don't understand . . ." the Goat's Sin piped up.

"What's that?" Ban asked.

"Books make pregnancy sound so wonderful and pleasant, but I definitely wouldn't recommend this to anyone."

Ban couldn't help but laugh, "What about that book Merlin had you read about pregnancy? Didn't it cover symptoms like morning sickness?"

"Yeah . . . maybe they should have emphasized on that more."

"Maybe it's all different. Guess that some people just get more sick than others. Everything will be fine."

Gowther attempted to sit up, knowing that there'd be nothing left in him he could possibly spew up. His dizziness , however, wound up driving him to lean against Ban. The Fox's Sin simply patted his shoulder and adjusted himself to make himself more comfortable. He figured they were going to be here a while.

"You're very talkative today," Gowther piped up, "Why is that? Why are you even here?"

Ban thought his answer over. He didn't want to tell him it was just because the other told him he needed to do it. It would make him look selfish and reluctant. His sin was Greed, but that didn't mean he always had to live up to it, and he especially didn't have to direct it towards Gowther and his unborn child.

"Well, you were gone a while and I was concerned," he said, "The others told me you'd gotten sick again, so I came to make sure you were okay."

Gowther let out a sigh as his head on Ban's shoulder, "I'm hungry."

Ban tilted his head in question, "Is eating such a good idea right now? Won't you just throw it back up?"

"I don't want anything strong. Maybe some bread, or something."

The Sin of Greed nodded as he scooped the Goat's Sin into his arms and carried him back towards the Boar Hat.

"You want to know something, Ban? "Gowther piped up.

"What's that?"

Gowther wrapped his arms around the Fox's Sin's waist.

"I appreciate that you're trying, now. But you're not very good at lying."


	12. Chapter 12: Friends

**Chapter 12: Friends**

The Boar Hat eventually settled on the top of a hill that overlooked a town that was tucked away in a valley. Hawk's Mama buried herself deep into the ground, like she always did, while the Seven Deadly Sins Began making plans to go down into the town and post flyers to attract some new customers.

Now that they weren't moving, Gowther's stomach had settled and he eagerly volunteered to help. Ban wanted to stay behind to cook up meals for any would-be guest that might show up while they were gone, but that meant someone would have to stay behind with him to make sure he wasn't plotting to make off with any bottles of ale. King agreed to stay behind, showing no interest in going into town anyways; that, and Diane was also staying behind, as well. Even Hawk prepared himself to go off with them, even though he wouldn't be doing much except for carrying the flyers.

It didn't take long for the group to find a path nearby that looked like it led straight into town. Meliodas figure the area must have been well travelled, which meant that the Boar Hat could be in a good place for potential customers. Then again, he looked at the other side of their situation. They were trying to distance themselves from someone who could possibly be after Gowther. This could also be a well-travelled route for a potential enemy.

Elizabeth, who had been lagging behind the rest of the group, quickened her pace to catch up to Gowther, who was several yards ahead from the others. He didn't seem to be in that much of a hurry, but she didn't want to leave him travelling by his lonesome, either.

"I hope you don't mind if I walk with you, Lord Gowther," the princess said in a small voice.

"No, I don't mind," Gowther replied.

Elizabeth's gaze veered down to the town below them.

"This really reminds me of the day we first met," she piped up.

"It does?" Gowther inquired.

Elizabeth nodded, "Hawk and I went down into a village to pass out flyers to spread word about the bar. That was when we met you."

"That's right, and at the time, I was looking for glue to fix the armor I had put on the Holy Knight, Dale."

"Holy Knight Dale . . . were you sad when he was killed?"

Gowther looked at her for a moment before his gaze veered to his feet.

"Now that I am thinking about it, I actually was sad. At the time, I wondered if people cried after losing someone like that, but now . . ."

The magenta-haired man found himself without the words to finish the thought. When Dale had referred to him as a friend, he'd hoped he could have heard it from the Holy Knight himself; to hear him say those words, that he'd been capable of making a human like him his friend. The idea was important to him. A small sniff escaped him at the knowledge that he'd never get the chance to hear those words from him.

Elizabeth let out a small cry.

"I-I'm so, so sorry, Lord Gowther! I can't believe I said something so insensitive! Please, don't cry!"

Gowther paused, "I'm not . . ."

The feeling of something warm trailing down both of his cheeks made him reach up, brushing them with his shirt sleeves. The wet spots that were there when he pulled them away confirmed what Elizabeth had said. Those were tears staining his sleeves. He was crying.

"I did not know that I was capable of shedding these," he stated.

Elizabeth reached up and brushed at another tear that was falling down his cheek.

"I really am sorry for saying that to you. If it means anything, though, I think of you as my friend."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh, and Meliodas, Merlin, King, Diane, Ban; I bet they all feel the same way, too."

Gowther stared at Elizabeth for quite some time before the tiniest traces of a smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

"Thank you, Princess. That means a lot to me."

Elizabeth smiled warmly at him.

"Just call me Elizabeth. Okay, Gowther?"


	13. Chapter 13: A Friendly Town

**Chapter 13: A Friendly Town**

The small group split up once they had gotten into town; Meliodas, Merlin, and Gowther going out on their own to hang flyers while Hawk travelled with Elizabeth. They had agreed to meet back up again at the town's entrance once they were finished.

Meliodas expected to be the first one back, as - after dividing them amongst the four of them - he'd had a rather small stack to distribute. Much to his surprise, however, he arrived at their meeting place to find Gowther leaning against a fence post beside the archway that marked the entrance to the town. The Sin of Lust had his arms full of baked goods; loaves of bread in one arm, half-dozen muffins in the other, and a roll stuffed into his mouth.

"How did you get here so fast?" Meliodas asked in surprise, "And where did you get all that food?"

Gowther attempted to speak, the roll clamped between his jaws.

"You really shouldn't talk with your mouth full," Meliodas stated, "You could choke that way."

The Goat's Sin dropped the roll onto his lap.

"I was hanging some of the flyers when some guys came up to me and offered to help."

"What kind of guys were they?" the Dragon's Sin asked.

"Let's see . . . There was a blacksmith, a carpenter, a shoe maker, and a baker. They must have assumed I was a lady and needed help. They kept referring to me as 'Darling'."

"And what'd they do?"

"They took the flyers and hung them up for me. We made excellent time, but I wound up getting hungry. The baker mentioned that he had made a fresh batch of bread and muffins."

"So he gave you all of this for free?"

"Oh, these aren't the freshly baked goods. These are from his batch from yesterday. He said that freshness was important to many of his customers, so he was happy that I was willing to take them."

"They might have been better if they _were_ fresh."

"To be frank, I didn't really _care_. I was very hungry."

"And all of this was free?"

"Yes."

Meliodas plucked a muffin out of Gowther's arms and stuffed it into his mouth.

"'ood to know! Mmm, 'is stuff 'eally is 'ood!"

Meliodas and Gowther weren't waiting very long before Elizabeth appeared with Hawk. It seemed Gowther hadn't been the only one to encounter friendly town's people. Elizabeth was wearing a brand new dress with matching slippers. Her hair was in a braid with several ribbons and flowers attached. Hawk was happily munching on a bucket of food that had been strapped to him.

"Where did you get those clothes?" Meliodas asked, "Where's your uniform?"

A soft blush appeared on the princess's face.

"Well, some man and his wife stopped me and said that I was showing too much skin. His wife makes clothes, so she gave me a dress that she had made."

"For free?"

"For free."

Meliodas let out a sigh, "What a pity. I mean, you look stunning in that dress and all, but I think you look much better in the bar's uniform."

Hawk let out a defensive snort, "You sick pervert!"

Elizabeth eyed Gowther curiously, "Where did you get all of that? Did you come across some friendly people, too?"

"Yes," the Goat's Sin replied, "Though not for the same reason as you, exactly."

Gowther gave Elizabeth the same explanation he'd given Meliodas.

The princess let out a small giggle, "I bet you would have gotten a lot more help if they knew you were expecting."

"They did."

Elizabeth, Meliodas, and Hawk looked at him in shock.

"Originally, it had been the baker who saw me," the Sin of Lust continued, "He was helping me post flyers when the shoe maker came along to help, and then the blacksmith and the carpenter. I wound up having a small bout of nausea, and that's when I told them that I was pregnant. The blacksmith wound up carrying me until all of the flyers were hung and then we went to the bakery. Just before I left, they told me they'd stop at the bar later."

Meliodas reached up and smacked the back of Gowther's head.

"You really shouldn't give out personal information like that," the Dragon's Sin stated, "I mean, you're not showing yet, so I don't think it's that big of a deal."

"Then again, I'm sure those nice people might've wanted to know why he felt so sick." Elizabeth pointed out.

"Yeah," Hawk agreed, "I mean, those people thought Gowther was a girl, right? Think, if he hadn't explained it to them, they probably would have rushed him to a doctor, or something."

"That _would_ create an awkward situation," Meliodas agreed, "Hey, Gowther. You didn't tell them any of that, did you? That you're a guy and the only reason you're able to carry a child is because you're a doll?"

"Due to the fact that that they saw me as a female already, that information seemed to irrelevant," he replied, "So, no, I did not tell them."

"Good. So I guess we have nothing to worry about right now."

Just then, Merlin made her way towards them. Unlike the others, she bore no new gifts or offerings from the town's people, and she looked very amused to see the things that had been given to Gowther, Elizabeth, and Hawk.

"Looks like the town's people gave you guys a warm welcome," the Boar's Sin stated, "We should have a lot of customers tonight. Almost everyone I've come across has seen our flyers, and they seem to look forward to a good drink."

Meliodas chuckled, "It almost sounds like they don't have a single bar in this place."

"I asked around. I was told there's only one, and it isn't all that great."

"Looks like we're in the right place to set up shop then."

The five of them started up the trail heading back to the Boar Hat.

"So, Merlin," Meliodas piped up, "It looks like you didn't get anything from the town's people like Elizabeth and Gowther."

"Well, they _tried_ ," Merlin said, "They offered me food, clothes, some even offered me a place to sleep, but I politely declined."

"Why?" Hawk asked, "These people are so nice and their food tastes great! Not a single one of them wanted to roast me!"

"I just wasn't used to it, that's all. In most new places we go, people a wary of newcomers, but these people are eager to do every little thing they can to please them, almost like servants. It's just odd."

Meliodas didn't show much concern towards the issue. Everyone everywhere was different. All towns and villages had their own little quirks; something that made them special and worth travelling to. Just so long as the person after Gowther didn't come here and get the town's people on their good side, everything would be fine.


	14. Chapter 14: A New Tavern in Town

**Chapter 14: A New Tavern in Town**

Pelliot sighed as he rested his head on an empty table in his bar. The place hadn't seen a customer in days. It had so little business coming in that even the waiters, bartenders, and cook didn't come into work anymore. Pelliot was left to run the bar by himself. What was worse, he wasn't any closer to accomplishing his goal to become a Holy Knight and finding Gowther and the people who had taken him away from him.

The young blond-haired boy watched the town's folk from a nearby window. They looked so happy, but he knew better. They weren't happy and friendly folk by nature. It was the law of the villiage. Smile, laugh, be kind, be friendly, welcome others and give them a reason to stay.

It was discusting, but this had been the way of their villiage since it had started growning in size. Warm welcomes and kind gestures attracted people to the villiage, and people began building homes and starting businesses until it had nearly quadrupled in size, going from a tiny villiage tucked away in a valley to one that spread across the landscape.

Pelliot opened his bar - The Red Stallion - in hopes of being able to keep track of where the Seven Deadly Sins were until he'd become a Holy Knight. His father had the supplies delivered to him and had hired all of the employees he'd ever need, and things actually went well for the Red Stallion for a while. Over time, however, the amount of customers coming in slowly began to decrease until only a handful of regulars came in. A short time later, there were hardly any regulars to speak of. Some rumors would blame the food, others say the drinks were watered down, and some would say that the villiage was a happy place with no need for a tavern. Whatever it was, it was going to put the Red Stallion out of business for good.

"I'm a failure," Pelliot said to himself, "All I wanted was to become a Holy Knight and capture Gowther. Now my bar is failing, and I don't even know where Gowther is . . ."

Pelliot lifted his head as the front door of the bar swung open. The only regular that showed up anymore was the town's blacksmith. Despite the man's intimidating appearance, he was a kind, caring, and gentle man. He was also a close friend of his father's, which made his normal appearances in the bar biased and unwelcome. Pelliot knew that the only reason he came in was to check on him and to give him some sort of business.

"The usual, I pressume?" Pelliot asked curtly.

The blacksmith chuckled, "One meat pie and a stein full of ale. You know me too well."

"You're the only one who ever comes in here."

Pelliot put a meat pie into the oven and filled a stein to the brim with ale as the blacksmith started going on about new within the villiage.

"We had a few strangers stop by today. Apparently they do a lot of travelling and decided to stay here for the time being."

"Is that so?" Pelliot asked, only listening to half of what the blacksmith had to say.

"They all seemed pretty surprised by our hospitality and kindness. I'm told they all work at the same bar they've set just outside of town. The Boar Hat, I think it's called. It's stilll strange that they were able to build that place overnight."

Pelliot paused, "The Boar Hat? Where have I heard that before?"

"The lot that work there are fine folks, but I thought i should warn you in advance. I know sales are low for you and you're trying to keep the Red Stallion afloat, but with a tavern like that so close to the villiage, it's likely nobody will come in at all."

"And why would _that_ matter?!" Pelliot lashed out, "Nobody comes in here anyways!"

The small blond-haired boy rested his head on the counter across from the blacksmith.

"I'm a failure. I won't ever become a Holy Knight or find Gowther. I can't even run my own bar."

The blacksmith let out a hum, "Why don't you go to the Boar Hat yourself? These are some well-travelled folks and they're very kind. I'm sure they'd be willing to help you."

The Boar Hat . . .

Pelliot could have sworn he'd heard of the place before, and the longer he thought about it the larger his hunch grew.

"Blacksmith?" he asked, "Would you happen to know where this tavern is located?"

* * *

Ever since the Boar Hat had settled outside of the mysterious village, business for the bar was at an all-time high. People lined up outside the door just before the bar opened, and there proceeded to be a line all throughout the day. Rumor on the street was that people from other villages were travelling many miles to get into this wonderful new tavern. It wasn't long before people were calling it the best there was around. Some had even gone so far as to add it to their maps.

Naturally, the increase in business kept the Seven Deadly Sins busy all hours of the day. Ban slaved away behind the counter, keeping up with orders for meals. Meliodas helped Elizabeth and Gowther pass out meals and drinks. Merlin made daily trips into the village to pick up supplies, though it wasn't uncommon for the town's folk to bring the supplies to them. Even Diane had found her place greeting customers and entertaining the children that couldn't go inside. King could usually be found sitting at a table, observing and gathering the information about the village and its people. Something about this place really didn't sit right with him.

Gowther was now three months into his pregnancy, and - in the smallest of ways - his body was starting to show it. He could no longer wear his feminine work uniform, as the already tight navy skirt couldn't be buttoned, and he proceeded to wait table in his usual clothing, but many knew that it would soon be time for him to get new clothes that he could use for the remainder of his pregnancy.

Ban had also tried stepping things up when it narrowed down to being the father of Gowther's unborn child. He prepared his meals and went to his side to comfort him whenever his symptoms acted up. Doing so helped him take his mind off of wanting alcohol and getting drunk, but even so he still didn't try to push things. He kept himself just uninvolved enough to where it didn't make him and Gowther look like they were a couple. He felt doing so otherwise would mean forgetting Elaine completely; betraying his memory and love for her.

Elaine was gone and Ban still hadn't found a way to bring her back, but did that really mean that Ban had to leave her?

It was the middle of the day when the next wave of customers began lining up at the Boar Hat's door. Those that had come for breakfast and lunch were starting to make their way out. Diane looked over the line, keeping an eye out for any children who might be accompanying their parents. The children were usually treated to a meal, but were made to wait out in the yard for their parents or gaurdians.

Her eyes suddenly fell on a tall, burly man with a young boy with shoulder-length blond hair at his side. The boy couldn't have been anymore than twelve years old.

"Excuse me, sir," Diane piped up, "But I'm afraid kids aren't allowed to go into the bar."

"Oh, we're not customers here," the man said, "Young master Pelliot here is looking for someone. Thought maybe you could help us."

"Well, I'll try, but I'm afraid I don't know very many people around here. Who is it that you're looking for?"

Pelliot approached the giantess.

"Would you happen to know where I can find Gowther of the Seven Deadly Sins?"

* * *

 **AUTHOUR'S NOTE 8/19/16**

 _"Hi Everyone!_

 _I am so, so, SO sorry I've gone so long without updating this story! But I'm back now, and I'm ready to continue my work. Do expect my upload time to spread out more towards the end of the month, as that's when I will be starting college, but DO know that I'll still be working on it. I'm really excited to continue my work, and I hope you all will continue to enjoy this story."_

- **BlueRaven 666**


	15. Chapter 15: Friends Reunited

**Chapter 15: Friends Reunited**

Diane paused.

This boy was looking for Gowther? What could he possibly want with him? Now that she thought about it, this boy did look familiar. Even his name, Pelliot, was familiar. Could they have met somewhere before?

"You're . . . looking for Gowther?" she inquired, tilting her head curiously.

Pelliot's eyes locked onto the giantess before his eyes veered to the serpant's symbol branded on her thigh.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" he asked, "You're the Serpant's Sin of Envy, Diane."

Diane couldn't lie to the boy. He'd seen her symbol, he knew who she was, and he undoubtedly knew that Gowther was still traveling with her, along with the other sins. But he seemed like such a serious fellow. Pelliot didn't ask for Gowther like he was an old friend of his. He asked for Gowther like he was still a wanted criminal.

Diane let out a stubborn huff as she turned up her nose.

"So what if he is here? What do you want with him?"

That was actually a really good question. It wasn't like the Seven Deadly Sins were wanted for their crimes anymore, so aprehending Gowther for that reason was bound to cause him and his father's village plenty of problems. But with how they had parted ways the last time they saw each other, this wasn't about to be a friendly reunion either.

Pelliot let out a sigh.

"I said some pretty bad things to him the last time I saw him. He probably hates me for it, but at least let me apologize to him so that maybe we could be friends again."

Diane quirked a curious brow. Now she remembered who this boy was. She remembered how he yelled at Gowther for leaving him, swearing that he would become a Holy Knight and capture him one day. But she also remembered how they had left him in the woods that day, crying out desperately to have his friend come back. Looking at him now, that was the boy she saw; the boy who just wanted his friend back.

"Oh, Captain!" she called cheerfully into the Boar Hat, "Could you send Gowther out here with today's special?"

From somewhere within the tavern, Meliodas called back, "Coming right up!"

Diane directed Pelliot out of line and into the seating area that the children had created back behind the bar. A few tables and stools had been set up for the kids to sit at so they didn't have to sit on the ground and eat. The area was practically empty, aside from a few individuals seated at a far table.

They were only waiting for a few minutes before Gowther appeared out the back door with a plate of roast pork and mashed potatoes in his hands. It seemed to take him a moment to realize who it was that was sitting at the table before his eyes lit up with recognition.

"Young master Pelliot," he stated, "What brings you here?"

Pelliot stared at the Goat's Sin for a moment before finding his words.

"I was looking for you."

Gowther nodded, "I see. And if memory serves, then you've come to capture me, is that right?"

The young blond shook his head, "I came to apologize."

The boy got down from his stool and wrapped his arms around Gowther's waist in a tight hug.

"I didn't become a Holy Knight and I didn't come here to capture you. I came here to apologize for getting so mad at you the last time we got to see each other. It was selfish of me to try and keep you from your friends when you really wanted to go with them, and then I probably made you worry by telling you I was going to become a Holy Knight and capture you. I must have caused you a lot of trouble, and I'm sorry for that."

Gowther stared at Pelliot silently for a few long seconds before he finally spoke.

"No."

The young blond shot him a confused look, "No?"

"At the time it was my responsibility to watch out for you and keep you safe; that is what your father hired me for. I understood those duties, yet when my friends appeared, I'll admit I was quick to go with them without taking the time to explain the situation to you and your father. It's only natural for a child your age to become upset from such actions; at least that's what I've been able to understand from my constant studying."

"Couldn't have said it better myself!"

The remark came from Meliodas, who stood beside the back door looking on with amusement.

Pelliot stood quickly, "You're Meliodas, aren't you? You're the Dragon's Sin of Wrath."

"Long time, no see, kiddo," Meliodas replied, "I came out here because I wanted to ask you something."

"M-Me?"

"Yeah, I wanted to know, what's up with this village of yours?

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone is so friendly and inviting and more than happy to let us stick around. I'm not complaining or anything, but it's a real switch from the usual stay-until-we've-overstayed-our-welcome routine."

"I've been wondering this, as well," Gowther chimed in, "I usually don't get carried around and given free food, nor have I ever been offered such kindness or hospitality before. I must admit, I do find it a bit strange."

Pelliot let out a sigh, "It's kinda become a law in our village to treat everyone, especially newcomers, with kindness and hospitality in an effort to keep the village growing. It's even better when newcomers have something to offer, like a business or a skilled trade. In exchange for those services, we put our best foot forward. We've become known as the biggest and friendliest village around."

"And the townsfolk are probably friendly to us because we have the Boar Hat."

"Exactly."

"Interesting," Meliodas said, "So your village must have many different kinds of people."

Pelliot nodded, "Tailors, bakers, blacksmiths, butchers, carpenters, craftsmen, artists, and we have quite a few doctors here too. Likely, if you need it, we have it."

Meliodas had to admit, while he found this village strange, it was nice to find a place that would let them stay as long as they wanted, and not run the risk of being run off by a mob or a team of Holy Knights. If anything this place would be good for Gowther and his unborn child to stay in. This place had the supplies that they needed, and if they needed anything in a jiff it was likely they could find someone that would bring it up to them.

Pelliot finished his meal as Meliodas disappeared back inside the bar, leaving him and Gowther to spend sometime with each other.

"Hey, Gowther," he piped up, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." the Goat's Sin replied.

". . . are you happy here?"

Gowther gave him a curious look, "What?"

"I mean . . . I know it was pretend, and everything, but being the Seven Deadly Sins here isn't the same without our Armando. So I thought maybe if you weren't happy here, you could come back and live with us."

Gowther rested a hand on Pelliot's shoulder.

"I would, but my place is with the rest of these Seven Deadly Sins. They need me right now, and I kind of need them. But maybe someday we can all play together again."

Pelliot nodded with understanding, though he was sad. He wrapped his arms around his waist and hugged him again before looking up at him.

"Hey, Gowther, I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Have you . . . gotten _bigger_ , by chance, or am I just imagining things?"

Gowther blinked at the question, unsure of how he should answer.

"I'm not calling you fat or anything," Pelliot continued, "It just seems a little bit harder to hug you, is all. My hands don't reach as far as they used to."

Gowther knew well enough that he couldn't tell the boy that he was pregnant. Yes, he was a doll, but Pelliot didn't know that, nor did he really need to know that. But if they did says here, and if Pelliot decided he wanted to visit him regularly, then he was bound to find out sooner or later.

For now, all he could tell him was that he'd just put on a little extra weight.


	16. Chapter 16:A Fairy Soothes a Fox's Dread

**Chapter 16: A Fairy Soothes a Fox's Dread**

The months passed, and with them came excitement, anticipation, and, for some, dread. Gowther was eight and a half months into his pregnancy, but Merlin was anticipating delivery any day. Gowther had been put on maternity leave ever since he had entered his seventh month and was being urged to relax more and more often.

To those who didn't know him personally, the Goat's Sin was a woman heavy with child, but to everyone else, the secret was out. When Pelliot started coming into the Boar Hat on a regular basis, he eventually had to be told the truth. He handled the news surprisingly well, though with Gowther being a doll amongst a giantess, a fairy, a completely indestructible human, a sorcerer, a demon, and a talking pig, he didn't find it _too_ unusual. The boy actually seemed to be pretty excited for Gowther and practically thought of the unborn child as a little sibling.

But while things were going well for one friend, there seemed to have been hardly any progress for another. Ban and Gowther had become nothing more than the teammates they were before everything happened. While Ban had done well at keeping his promise not to drink for his sake, there had hardly been an effort for the two of them to get close. Ban partially blamed it on not wanting to give up on Elaine, partially on being afraid take on the duties of a father, and partially on just not being interested. What was worse was that there had been efforts on both his and Gowther's part to become close, but it always ended abruptly in a rush of customers or an awkward silence.

Ban prayed for a miracle. His child could be born any day, and the thing that he was afraid of the most was that he would look into its eyes and not care. And Gowther . . . Was he really going to make Gowther go through the burden of carrying a child for nine months, force him to bear the child, and still not care? Was that really the kind of person that he was? Ban knew that if it had been anyone else that had gotten Gowther pregnant and was treating him this way, he would make them pay, even if it was someone like King or even Meliodas.

As he sat alone on the front steps of the Boar Hat, Ban looked up into the night sky.

"I'm sorry, Elaine," he said quietly, "I'm really scared right now. I know you probably can't do much from up there, but if you can, then please . . . give me some kind of a sign."

Ban rested his head against an upturned palm. Part of him wondered what Gowther was thinking when he decided to keep the child. Sure, the child had done nothing wrong nor had it asked to be born. Heck, nobody knew that it was even possible for the Sin of Lust to conceive. But if he had to be honest with himself, Ban knew that Gowther wouldn't make a good parent. He hardly made a good teammate, between being bad at reading the atmosphere and not knowing a thing about people's emotions. How could that guy possibly provide a good life for a child?

A faint clatter in the grass beside him brought Ban back from his thoughts. The light of the moon reflected off of is, making it easy to find. It was a pair of glasses, a pair that he recognized quickly. He glanced up to the third story balcony and noted how Gowther wasn't leaning against the railing reading like he normally did this time of night. But these were definitely his glasses.

"Must've accidentally dropped him while he was up there," Ban thought to himself.

He carried the glasses inside and up the stairs to the attic. Merlin had fallen asleep against one of many of Gowther's stacks of books. Ban quietly tiptoed past her and passed through the door leading onto the balcony.

"Hey, Gowther, you accidentally dropped your . . ."

Ban paused as he looked out to find Gowther curled up on the floor sleeping. He had a pillow tucked under his head and a blanket covering him, both gifts he had received from the townspeople, but naturally there was an open book lying beside him. Ban figured his glasses had fallen off while he was sleeping.

The Fox's Sin knelt down and placed his glasses next to him. His eyes couldn't veer away from the Goat Sin's sharply curved abdomen, heavy with child. Gently, he rested a hand against it, feeling the child kick and move beneath it. He couldn't stop himself from thinking how happy he would be if Gowther were Elaine and it was her child that he was carrying.

His thoughts tore him apart. Gowther wouldn't make a good parent, and Ban feared that he wouldn't acknowledge the child as his own. It was no better than having no parents at all. Ban knew what that life was like, and he wouldn't wish that upon anyone.

A light illuminated the room behind him in a soft warm glow. Ban figured it must have been Merlin, who had probably woken up when he had gone onto the balcony. That is, until a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Ban . . ."

It was light, soft, and sweet . . . and utterly impossible! There was no way that he was actually hearing _her_ voice.

Ban slowly turned around to find a familiar blond-haired fairy floating above the balcony behind him. It may have only been her spirit that she was seeing, but her golden eyes still glittered as she smiled at him and he white gown floated around her.

Tears clouded Ban's vision as he smiled back.

"Elaine! You're . . . You're here! But how?"

Elaine let out a small giggle, "I'm here to put your mind at ease, Ban."

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell, you know? I can tell that you're scared, scared of becoming a father to a child that I'm not having."

Ban scratched the back of his head, "Well, yeah! It's not like I wanted any of this to happen. I was drunk, and . . ."

"I know that, Ban. I know everything, and I want you to know that I'm not mad at you for doing what you did. You didn't know . . . but I'll never forgive you if you just abandon Gowther and his child. You can't just let him go through all of this on his own."

"But what am I supposed to do? I mean, it's not like I hate the guy's guts, or anything, but he isn't you, Elaine. I can't love him the way I love you!"

"I understand that, Ban," Elaine said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I just want you to know that, no matter what, I will always love you."

Ban managed a small smile before it vanished in a bout of worry. What if he screwed up? What if something went wrong when Gowther delivered? What if he wasn't the father everyone, even Elaine, was expecting him to be?

"Ban?"

"Yes, Elaine?"

"Don't worry so much," the fairy looked up at him and smiled, "When the time comes, you'll know what to do."

"Yeah? And what about Gowther? The guy's not exactly the motherly type. He can barely take care of himself, let alone a child."

"This is true," Elaine admitted, "but this experience is giving him the opportunity to slowly find himself. Just you wait. He'll surprise you."

Ban looked down at Gowther's sleeping form. Was it actually possible for him to be a good parent? Could someone who was as indifferent to others and as emotionless as him provide the kind of care a child needed? Ban could do it, he knew he could. But he could never tell with someone as unpredictable as Gowther.

"If you say so . . ." Ban muttered, "But what about you? You're my girl, Elaine. If it were you instead of him, I'd be the happiest man alive right now. Don't think for a second that's how I feel about Gowther."

Elaine gave a small smile, "But you _do_ care about him."

"Well, yeah. He's a part of the team. I think everyone would be kinda crushed if we lost him, but it's not like I love him, or anything."

"Maybe now. Give it time, you'll see. Just know that no matter what, I will always love you, and I know you'll always love me."

Ban gave another quick glance to Gowther, his hand resting on his protruding belly. He did wonder what kind of child it was going to be. What happened when a human and a doll had a child? Would it be a human, a doll, or something else? Would it be like him, or would it be like Gowther? Was it a boy or a girl? Could a man who became pregnant even produce girls?

Despite all of his questions, Ban's conscience had been cleared of one thing: Elaine didn't hate him for doing what he did. She still loved him, and she only wanted him to do what he should have been doing from the start; being the supportive friend and father he was going to be.


	17. Chapter 17: The Fox Isn't Always Sly

**Chapter 17: The Fox Isn't Always Sly**

Gowther was instantly confused when he found himself waking up a bed. As he slowly sat up, he tried to remember exactly what he'd been doing before he'd fallen asleep. The last thing he remembered was reading _Beowulf_ on the balcony. He remembered dozing off a couple of times, but he must've really crashed if someone had come and carried him off to bed.

When he looked around, Gowther realized he was in Ban's bed. Sunlight was peeking in through the window beside King's bed. King was still sound asleep, snoring softly. A second source of soft snoring coming from beside the bed made Gowther turn his head. Ban was curled up on the floor, just as sound asleep as King.

At first Gowther thought that he had wandered down into Ban and King's room looking for a comfier place to sleep. But if that happened, wouldn't Ban have kicked him out of his bed when he came up? Instead, the Fox's Sin chose to sleep on the floor. Did he carry him to his room and let him sleep in his bed? If he did, then why? Why did he do that?

A slight kick from within brought Gowther back from his thoughts.

He rubbed circles around his stomach in an effort to calm his squirming child. The child was becoming more active, and he took it as a sign that the others were right and he'd deliver any day. He didn't mind the thought. Being pregnant was starting to become a nuisance to him. If he dropped something, he couldn't bend down to pick it up. Getting a full nights sleep was nearly impossible, not to mention the pain in his back that plagued him each day was quite bothersome. While he was relieved that the morning sickness he had been experiencing had died down, a new problem arose. He had to go to the bathroom very frequently, so frequently that he absolutely hated it.

He hated being pregnant.

Even so, while he bore these thoughts on being pregnant, none of them were directed towards the child. His thoughts and opinions towards the child were something he still had yet to decide. Whenever people from the village would ask him questions, he never really had a solid answer.

"Are you excited?"

"I am not sure."

"Nervous?"

"I don't know."

"Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"

"I just want it to be healthy."

In the end, he wasn't excited or nervous. He didn't prefer to have a boy over a girl, or vice versa. No, if there were any questions he was asking himself, they would be, "Will the child be excepted as I have into this team?" and "Does it have a heart like Ban, or is it an empty shell like me?"

Gowther had not forgotten his task to get a heart and understand human emotions. It was why he couldn't give anyone a straight, honest answer about how he felt about having a child. But if there was one thing he did want for the child, it would be to be born with a heart. He did not want it to struggle in life as he was struggling. He was certain about that much.

"Somethin' on your mind, Gowther?"

The Goat's Sin was brought back from his thoughts by the sound of Ban's voice. He looked over to find the Fox's Sin sitting up and gazing curiously at him.

"How did I get here?" Gowther asked him.

Ban chuckled, "Well, after knocking your glasses off of the balcony last night while you were sleeping, I figured it would be better if you slept in a bed, for once. Seems kind of cruel to make a pregnant person sleep on a stack of books."

"Ah."

The two were silent for several seconds before Ban spoke again.

"Hey, listen. I know I haven't done much to be a good father, but I want you to know that I'm definitely ready to move on. I'm ready to help you raise this child."

Gowther tilted his head curiously, "What brought this on, all of a sudden?"

"Well, let's just say a certain lady helped me get my ass in gear."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. The truth of it is that I was having a hard time moving on without Elaine. That's what was really holding me back. But, I know she wouldn't be happy if I just up and left someone who was having my child just because that person wasn't her. And being afraid that something will go wrong, or that I might screw up as a dad, I tried running away from my problems instead of facing them. But I seem to have worked all of that out on my own, somehow."

" _Fate often saves and undoomed man when his courage is good_."

Ban shot Gowther a confused look, "O...kay . . . What's that supposed to mean?"

Gowther shrugged, "Tell me something, Ban. Do you think that every man that has someone expecting his child is fully ready to take on the duties of a father? I think there will be times when all the preparation in the world will not be enough to see what the future holds, but being ready to tackle a sudden challenge head-on seems more realistic."

"So what you're saying is . . ."

"That's a quote from _Beowulf_. It might mean a lot of things, but to me, in this situation, it means you were worried over nothing and everything's going to be all right."

Ban gave a slight smile. Being pregnant hadn't changed Gowther one bit. He was still a clueless guy reading books and spewing out their lines, even if he only understood half of the meaning behind them.

This was probably just Gowther's weird way of trying to comfort him.


	18. Chapter 18: Festival

**Chapter 18: Festival**

Gowther rolled over in bed for what had to be the hundredth time, trying to relieve a bothersome ache in his back. At first, he figured he must have been lying down for too long and it was the child's weight pressing against his spine, but he found that no matter what he did, the pain was still there. "Take it easy" and "get some rest" were beginning to prove to be the worst pieces of advice the rest of the team had given him. There were only so many books he could read and so much sleep he could get before he grew bored.

Admitting defeat to the pain coiling itself around his lower spine, Gowther rolled onto his side and listen to the commotion going on in the bar below. He could smell the food Ban was cooking as he slaved away at the grill. Merlin, Elizabeth, and Meliodas were taking orders. Occasionally, he'd hear a slight shriek and a crash, telling him Elizabeth must have tripped and fell again. From somewhere in the bar, he could hear Hawk scarfing down scraps and leftovers. Then there was the usual chatter of the customers and the clashing of steins as they toasted to nothing in particular, at least that's the way Gowther saw it.

As Gowther listened in, he couldn't help the sudden pang of loneliness that he felt inside. He wanted to be down there with everyone, he wanted to wait on customers with Elizabeth, he wanted to be let in on the idle chatter and local gossip that the customers brought in with them. But more than anything, he wanted the freedom to go wherever he please. He'd deliver any day, but which day? Today? Tomorrow? Three days from now? Why wasn't there a specific date he was able to point to that told him when he'd deliver? That way he didn't have to spend so much time waiting around for the day to come.

Then again . . . nobody ever said he _had_ to stay in bed. It was just recommended.

Gowther stood up and made his way back to the attic where his shoes still sat in the corner he kicked them off in. Even his short gray high heels were a pain to get around in, but they'd do; just for a few minutes so he could stretch his legs and get some fresh air.

"Hey, Gowther! What're'ya up to?"

Gowther glanced over to the balcony where he found Diane peering in through the door.

"Just thought I would go out for a minute," Gowther replied, "Lying around in bed is getting kind of boring."

"Well, I don't blame you there," Diane stated, "Tell you what, it's going to slow down pretty soon. Why don't we take a walk together?"

Gowther gave a small nod.

"That sounds good. I'll have someone to talk to, at least."

* * *

"A festival, you say?"

Meliodas sat across from Pelliot as the boy excitedly told him about the latest festivities happening in town.

"Yeah!" The young blonde exclaimed, "there's going to be all kinds of food and games, and later in the evening there will even be a firework show!"

"That does sound like fun," Meliodas admitted, "but not very many of us will be able to go. Ban and I will have to stay here and run the Boar Hat, and Gowther's been told he should take it easy until the baby's born."

Pelliot frowned and rested his head on and upturned palm, "That guys been doing an awful lot of resting for a while now. He's bound to be getting bored. Can't you let him come, just for tonight?"

"Come to think of it," Ban piped up from behind the counter, "I just saw Diane take off with him and go for a walk. You can't just leave him locked in a room lying in bed all day, Captain. Why don't we go, just for tonight? We could all use a day off."

Meliodas pondered for a moment. It was true, they could use a day to just relax and enjoy themselves. But he still wasn't so sure about Gowther. Merlin was anticipating delivery any day, but that had been for almost a week now. And even if something did happen and Gowther needed to come back, they could make it back to the Boar Hat in plenty of time.

"Let's just go, Captain," Merlin piped up from a nearby table, "I'd been sensing Gowther was bored for a while now. Being able to get out and stretch his legs will be good for him and the baby. It might even help things along."

Meliodas shrugged, "If you say so. Sure, we'll go."

Pelliot's face lit up, "That's great! I've got to go now and help everyone else set up. I guess I'll see you guys tonight!"

As the young blonde vanished out the door, Meliodas turn towards Ban.

"So Diane and Gowther went out for a walk, huh?"

"Yeah," Ban replied, "they left about an hour ago."

"They've been gone for a while, then."

"Don't sweat it, Captain. Usually, I'm the one that's worryin', not you!"

"I was pretty worried, too, at first," Merlin chimed in, "he's been tossing and turning so much, like his back was bugging him, that I thought he might be in the early stages of labor. But he hasn't been showing any other signs. He sleeps and reads just to pass the time, but aside from that . . ."

"And it doesn't exactly help when you force him to stay inside all the time," Ban added, "if you ask me there's only one reason why Gowther and Diane are taking so long to get back."

"And what's that?" Meliodas asked.

Ban gave a small smirk.

"Gowther's probably had to go to the bathroom five million times!"

* * *

Diane gave an irritated sigh as she was forced to stop.

"Really, Gowther? You just went five minutes ago!"

"I can't help it," Gowther piped up from behind a clump of shrubbery, "why don't you try being pregnant so you will know what it's like?"

"I'll pass. I'm saving myself for Meliodas."

Gowther suppressed the urge to gag. It wasn't that he didn't want them to be together and be happy. It was the same way when King went on about wanting to be with Diane. But it all came back around to him not understanding the motives behind it. He didn't understand what thoughts and emotions lead them to want to be with one another. He was still trying to understand Ban's motives behind sleeping with him, aside from being under the influence of alcohol, and Ban had even refrained from drinking any sort of booze for the past five months or so for his sake. It was just a matter of figuring out why.

"The Captain is a good person . . ." Was all Gowther could respond with.

"Yeah, he is," Diane replied, "even if he likes Elizabeth more than me."

Gowther stepped out of the brush and looked up to Diane.

"Shall we get going? The others are probably wondering why we've been gone for so long."

Diane nodded. The giantess then knelt down, gently picked the Goat's Sin up, and placed him on one of her shoulders.

"Can I ask you something?" The Serpent's Sin piped up.

"Of course."

"Did you ever think this sort of thing what happened? Like, did you ever think you'd ever have your own family; a lover . . . children?"

Gowther stared at her for a moment then blinked.

"If I did, it was never in this way," he replied, "maybe I'd have a wife and we have children. Maybe if I stayed with Guila, we would have had children and be a family. I don't know. I was always too involved with the Seven Deadly Sins to worry about that sort of thing."

Diane giggled, "If you did stay with Guila, you'd still be a jerk. I think I like you better with Ban. He can punch some sense into you when you need it."

Gowther ignored the comment as he pressed his hands against his back and gave a good stretch. While their had done wonders for his boredom, it had done little to relieve the pain in his back.

"You okay?" Diane asked, "You've been looking pretty uncomfortable since we've left the bar."

"It's nothing," Gowther replied, "my back just hurts a little is all."

"Huh, maybe you really should take it easy for the rest of today."

"Maybe, but I don't think the baby will be coming for a while yet."

* * *

"What's that? A festival?"

Diane and Gowther were surprised when Ban and Meliodas met them at the front door of the Boar Hat. They were both expecting some sort of scolding for being gone so long. Instead, they were greeted with the news of a festival being held in the village. Diane was instantly excited, viewing it as the Dragon's Sin asking her to go on a date to the festival with her. Gowther remained neutral towards the idea. It was something that they could all do to get out and enjoy themselves for a bit.

Once it'd been decided that everyone was going, Ban pulled Gowther aside with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you doin' alright?" the Fox's Sin asked, "you look kinda tired."

"I'm fine," Gowther replied, "I could use a bit of rest before the festival, though."

Ban nodded, "You can take my bed for the time being. I usually like sleeping on the floor, anyways."

The Goat's Sin gave a small nod before making his way up the steps to Ban's room, rubbing at his back as he went.

Once he was sure that Gowther wasn't within earshot, Ban looked over to Meliodas, "You saw that, too, right?"

The Dragon's Sin nodded, "Yeah. He really should stay here and rest. One of us could stay behind and make sure he's okay until we get back."

Elizabeth poked her head out from inside the tavern, "Is something wrong?"

"Not to raise any alarms, or nothing," Ban spoke, "but we have a feeling that the back pain Gowther's been dealing with might mean he's in the early stages of labor. It might be best if he stayed here instead of going to the festival."

"Oh, okay."

"The only problem is that we'd like someone to stay behind and look after him, just in case he goes into active labor while we're gone."

" I'll do it!" Elizabeth stated, "I'd like to help in any way that I can, so I can look after him while you guys are at the festival."

Ban let out a sigh, "I should stay behind, too. I mean if tonight's really gonna be the night, then I should be there to help him."

Meliodas gave a satisfied small smile.

"Well, I'd say that Gowther's in good hands, then."


	19. Chapter 19: The Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 19: The Calm Before the Storm**

"Hey, Gowther. Are you doing all right?"

Ban set at Gowther's bedside, rubbing the magenta haired man's back as the sin of lost lightly toast in his bed. It's become apparent that the pain was no longer just his back and that the cramps were now reaching his abdomen. Gowther had tried his best to hide his discomfort beneath his blank expressions, not wanting to hold up the others who were excited to go to the festival. But Ban had gotten good at seeing through his façades, and there wasn't a doubt in his mind now that tonight was the night that Gowther would deliver.

Gowther, however, hadn't changed his decision.

"I'm fine," he said, "All I need is a bit of rest. You should go to the festival and enjoy yourself. It'd probably be boring if you stay here."

Ban let out a slight chuckle, "Well, you can forget about that. I already told everyone else that I was stayin' here, and Master and the princess aren't going either. Nothing else, we'll spend the rest of the night getting ready for tomorrow, like we usually do."

"If you insist . . ."

Gowther adjusted his position one last time before slowly drifting off to sleep. Ban couldn't help but stay and watch him a few minutes more. He might have not been Elaine, but he was something just as good. He was Gowther; his teammate, his friend, and the one carrying his child. For the first time, it seemed, he found himself thinking something that he only thought when he was drunk.

"Damn it, you really are cute."

Ban quietly made his way back down to the bar, leaving Gowther to sleep. The rest of the Seven Deadly Sins had already left for the festival in the village, leaving him, Elizabeth, and Hawk behind. The princess kept herself busy cleaning the counter while Hawk munched on a bowl of scraps.

"How's he doing?" Elizabeth asked, looking up as Ban seated himself at a table.

"Okay, I guess," the Fox's Sin replied, "Kinda hard to tell if tonight's the night or not. He tried to talk me into going to the festival, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Elizabeth gave a small nod, "It is quite amazing, though, when you think about it."

Ban cocked a curious brow, "What do you mean by that?"

"Looking back, I never thought I'd see such a thing, even with someone like Sir Gowther, who's a doll. And then that little scare we had, thinking someone was after him. And then finally coming here to this village with its friendly people and seeing Sir Gowther and that boy reunite as friends. He's changed so much since I first met him . . . Do you really think finding a heart is something he has to do to understand emotions? Because I think at this rate, he's going to discover it on his own."

Ban felt a smile crawl across his face.

"You've got a point there. That guy sure has changed, and I'm pretty sure being pregnant has something to do with it. I can't exactly say that's a bad thing, though. Before all this, Gowther used to drive me crazy. The way he could be so careless, thoughtless, and heartless, no matter what happened, it all just irritated me to no end. Now it actually looks like he's slowing down a bit. He knows that he can't just think about himself, and I think that's what's allowing him to understand his feelings a bit more. I know King will like that, so he doesn't have to keep using him as a punching bag."

Elizabeth cracked a small smile before going over and joining Ban at the table.

"How are you doing?" she asked him.

"Me?"

"Yeah, I mean . . . You must be nervous. Everyone asks how Gowther is, but he doesn't seem to how to respond most of the time. What about you? I think I would be petrified if I were in your shoes."

Ban let out a pondering sigh.

"I am pretty nervous, especially now that I don't know what the next few hours are going to bring while everyone else is gone. I got a boost of confidence a few nights ago, but I'm still worried. What if I'm not the parent everyone's expecting me to be? Or worse, what if both me and Gowther aren't cut out to be parents? That ain't something a kid should have to live with."

Elizabeth rested her hands on top of Ban's and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry so much! When the time comes, I'm sure you'll both know what to do. Just give it time."

Ban paused for a moment before letting himself relax. Hearing those words again gave him the same boost of confidence Elaine had given him up on the balcony just a few nights before.

The Fox's Sin glanced over to a nearby bookshelf and pulled the books that Gowther had been reading about pregnancy and childbirth. Elizabeth tilted her head curiously as he began reading them.

"What?" Ban inquired, "If it's going to happen soon, might as well knows what I have to do to help him, y'know?"

* * *

Ban grimaced as he forced himself to stop reading, "Is Gowther really going to have to go through all that?"

Elizabeth gave a nervous laugh, "According to Merlin, it is."

Ban had been reading for the more uncomfortable part of two hours, now. He thought reading the same books Merlin had Gowther read might put him at ease and help prepare him for what could be excepted when the Goat's Sin delivered, but it wound up having the opposite effect. He was even more nervous and terrified for what was to come, and since not all pregnancies and deliveries were the same, it was pretty much anyone's guess as to what was going to happen.

"Ya gotta hand it to women," Ban sighed, "they've been doing this kinda thing for centuries. That sure is some tough work!"

"It's definitely impressive," Elizabeth agreed.

The Fox's Sin let out a sigh. He almost didn't want to keep reading. The thought of Gowther having to push something roughly the size of a melon out of his body made him queasy. Hed much rather deal with the Sin of Lust being pregnant - putting up with bathroom breaks every five minutes, having him take long naps, and taking on the occasional mood swing - to that.

Then Ban thought about it a bit more. He'd been waiting nine months for this to be done and over with, nine months to see the child that had been growing inside Gowther, and, if he was being honest with himself, nine months to be able to drink again. Of course, being sober for so long made him determined not to wreck himself every night. With all this in mind, Ban picked up the books once more.

He had to be prepared for anything.

Hawk stuck his snout out from under a nearby table.

"I don't mean to be a bore," he said, "but when are you guys going to be off to bed? A pig's gotta get his beauty sleep too, y'know."

"I wanted to wait until Meliodas and the others got back from the festival," Elizabeth stated.

Ban nodded, "Just let me read through this one last time, then I'll go check on Gowther and see if he's doing all right."

Before the Fox's Sin could turn the page, however, a small voice called to him from the foot of the stairs.

"Um, Ban . . ."

Ban turned, "What's up?"

Gowther stood on the bottom step, leaning against the wall with one arm wrapped around the curve of his abdomen. Ban's face fell with concern as he realized that the Goat Sin's deadpan expressions were twisted in discomfort; something that was rarely seen, if not unheard of, for the Sin of Lust.

"Gowther? What's wrong?"

Gowther's gaze dropped from Ban's to the floor.

"I think my water just broke."


	20. Chapter 20: Send for Help

**Chapter 20: Send for Help**

"Shit!"

The word rolled out of Ban's mouth as he carried Gowther back up the stairs to his bedroom. The Sin of Lust was in nothing but his shirt, and the half that went past his hips was damp, telling Ban that his water had indeed broken.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"

Gowther's expressions of discomfort had faded with the contraction that had struck him and were blank once more. He looked up at Ban and tilted his head slightly.

"Um, Ban, it's alright. The pain is gone now."

"You moron!" The Fox's Sin growled, "You said your water broke, right? That means the pain's gonna come back! Like it or not, looks like you're having this baby tonight."

Ban fought back a nervous gulp. On the surface, he might have been putting on a tough front, trying to remain strong and confident. Not just for Gowther's sake, but for his own, as well. But the truth was that he was probably more scared and worried than Gowther was, and when he thought back to the images the books had put into his mind, it only made him feel more uneasy about what was about to happen.

Elizabeth sprinted up the steps after them, her face also painted with worry.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked, "Do you want me to get Sir Meliodas?"

"Ya might as well," Ban replied, "Get Merlin, too. It's her help we're really going to need."

Elizabeth nodded in understanding and sprinted back down towards the door.

Hawk, having officially given up on trying to flop down somewhere and go to sleep, jumped up and met Elizabeth at the tavern's front door.

"What's with the sudden commotion?" he asked.

"Gowther's having the baby!" The princess explained, "I need to find Sir Meliodas and Merlin."

Hawk nodded, "Climb on my back, Elizabeth. I can get you there a lot quicker than if you just run around on your own."

Elizabeth gave a sigh of relief, "Thanks."

As the Princess and the boar galloped down towards the village, Ban stayed beside Gowther. The Fox's Sin glanced out the window, watching his only help vanish into the night.

"I sure hope they make it back in time," he said to himself.

"I really am fine, Ban," Gowther said as he sat on his knees on the bed, "if nothing else, I can wait until everyone gets back from the festival."

Ban scoffed, "Knowing the Captain, nobody's going to be back til morning. I doubt our baby is going to wait that long."

Before Gowther could continue to argue, another contraction started. His expressions twisted once more and his arms wrapped around the sharp curve of his abdomen as the contraction forced the muscles to tighten.

"See, what did I tell ya?" Ban said, moving closer beside him and rubbing the small of his back.

The Fox's Sin felt the worry within him bubble as he realized that these weren't exactly what could be called mild contractions. The Sin of Lust appeared to be working hard and finding it difficult to cope as they came and went.

"Gowther, exactly how long have you been at this?"

"A-about two hours, now. My early labor began earlier this afternoon."

Ban had to think back. Gowther had been dealing with back pain and cramps between late morning and early afternoon before he had decided to go for a walk, and for the past two hours or so he'd been in active labor. After doing the math, he realize that the Goat's Sin had been at this for a total of eleven hours. A nauseous feeling tugged at him at the thought.

The Sin of Greed wanted to ask why Gowther hadn't bothered telling him this or asking for help, but then he tried putting himself in his shoes. If the baby wasn't going to come for at least eleven hours, then was there any point in holding everyone else up? Even though most of the Seven Deadly Sins had gone to the festival, there were still people here to help him if he needed it. Gowther had known what he was doing all along. He was able to handle it until his water broke, and he knew then that he would be needing help soon.

Ban finally forced himself to take his own advice: don't question Gowther's logic.

* * *

Elizabeth struggled to hold onto Hawk as the pig hurried down into the village. A pig's gate wasn't exactly smooth like a horse's, and the steep hills and sharp turns nearly made her fall off a couple of times. Her worries about that faded, however, each time she would look up and she'd see the entrance to the village getting closer; closer to the rest of the Sins, closer to getting help.

The princess was pleasantly surprised that riding on Hawk's back allowed them to reach the village in a relatively short amount of time. If she had gone on her own, it was likely that she would still be sprinting down the path, out of breath and a bundle of nerves.

The only dilemma Elizabeth faced now was finding Meliodas and Merlin. This wasn't exactly a tiny village and with the festival going on there were an infinite number of buildings and attractions they could be at. If anything, finding them would take even longer than just getting here, whether she had been riding Hawk or not.

Her worry faded into curiosity as the pig continued on into the village at a steady gallop, weaving past crowds and turning blocks. The princess ignored the stares and glares from the villagers and focused on Hawk. It almost seemed as though there was something that he was following that steered him in the direction he wanted to go. A scent, perhaps?

"Don't worry about it, Elizabeth," Hawk said, "I've been with that sicko for quite a while, now. This snout can snuff him out anywhere. Though I think I already have a pretty good idea where he might be hiding."

The chubby swine continue to gallop through the streets before skidding to a halt in front of a busy tavern; the Red Stallion.

"If he isn't somewhere where he can show off, he's usually in a bar somewhere." he added.

"Thanks, Hawk," Elizabeth sighed with relief, climbing down from the pigs back.

The princess hurried inside, scanning through the tables full of people in search of the Dragon's Sin. She eventually spotted him at the counter, chatting with Pelliot and enjoying a stein full of beer. She hurried over to him, weaving around waiters and customers, trying not to trip over her own two feet in her efforts to reach him.

"Sir Meliodas!"

Elizabeth's voice quickly gained the Dragon Sin's attention. His face held a surprise look for a moment before softening to a cheeky grin.

"Hey there, Elizabeth! Fancy seeing you here. I thought you were going to stay at the Boar Hat with Ban."

"It's Gowther! He's going into labor and his water broke! We need to find Merlin and get back as quickly as possible!"

Within seconds, Meliodas's cheeky grin was gone and had been replaced with a focused seriousness. He hopped down from his stool and chugged down the stein of beer he had been drinking out of before setting it down on the counter.

"Let's go, then," he said, "I'll go and find Merlin. You and Hawk head back to the bar. I'll be there soon."

Elizabeth nodded and headed back towards the door. Hawk was still waiting outside and the boar's ears shot up in surprise when he realized Meliodas wasn't following her out.

"No way! " He squealed, "you're telling me that I was wrong and he isn't in there?!"

"No, he was in there," Elizabeth responded, shaking her head, "He said he's going to find Merlin. Let's head back to the Boar Hat, now. Ban and Gowther need us!"

Hawk let out an unenthused grunt, not looking forward to galloping back to the tavern. But he nodded anyway and took off as fast as he could once Elizabeth had climbed onto his back.

"I better get all of next weeks scraps for this!"


	21. Chapter 21: Beget by the Sin of Lust

**Chapter 21: Beget by the Sin of Lust**

Ban's gaze had locked onto the window, looking off into the distance as he hoped and prayed that Elizabeth and Hawk would come flying up the trail with Meliodas and Merlin not far behind. He was sure it had been close to another hour since they had gone down into the village, and the Sin of Greed new that with each minute that passed, Gowther grew closer to having to push.

At this point, Ban had adjusted to the times when the Goat's Sin would have a contraction. They were gradually getting closer together and stronger in intensity, but aside from that, Gowther was giving no indication that he needed help. The Fox's Sin would occasionally ask if Gowther was all right or if he needed help, but he would usually shake his head no and go back to concentrating on his contractions or resting.

Even though Gowther was fine and everything seemed to be going well, however, Ban didn't like that nobody else was back yet.

"Come on, Elizabeth," he muttered to himself, "Where are you?"

Ban tried not to let the endless possibilities overwhelm him. Elizabeth may not have been the best waitress in the bar, or the most coordinated, but when it narrowed down to fighting and getting the others help, she was pretty capable. Being around the Seven Deadly Sins had taught her a lot. No matter where she was now, Ban was confident that she was coming.

The Fox's Sin turned away from the window to focus back on Gowther, only to pause slightly. The Sin of Lust was still sitting on his knees on the bed, as he had been since Ban brought him up there, but he had adjusted himself slightly. His legs were spread further apart, he leaned heavily on one arm and gripped the sheets tightly, and, as another contraction started up, his breathing strained and his free hand reached behind him. At first, Ban thought the Goat's Sin was trying to rub the small of his back, but soon he realized that he had positioned his hand much lower than that.

Ban swallowed nervously.

"Um, Gowther? Don't tell me you're trying to push."

Gowther didn't say anything, but he responded with a small nod. His grip on the sheets below him tightened until his knuckles turned white, and he took a small breath as he beared down.

Ban felt his heart began to beat frantically in his chest. So many thoughts raced through his mind. " Stop!", "I am not ready for this!", "You should wait until the Captain or Merlin get back!". But mostly what he found himself thinking was, "Do you even know what you're supposed to do?" All reading and such a side, he knew that this wasn't coming naturally to Gowther.

Whether the others were coming or not, and had to be prepared to help him deliver their child on his own.

The Fox's Sin waited until Gowther's contraction had passed before deciding to speak.

"Well, you won't be able to safely catch the child like that," he said, "Try laying down. It'll probably make it easier."

Gowther nodded and laid back against the pillows. He was able to adjust himself and get himself comfortable before the next contraction took him. While his back protested it, he forced himself to lay down, propping his legs up and pulling them apart.

"It's coming . . ." he managed to gasp out, "I can feel it."

Ban thought he was prepared to do what he had to do to assist in the delivery. However, as he moved down and gave a glance between Gowther's legs, his stomach flipped and, struggling to keep himself from passing out, moved back to Gowther's side.

"Elizabeth had better come back with someone soon . . ."

* * *

"Come on, Hawk! We have to hurry!"

The pig still managed to keep a steady pace bounding up the path leading back to the Boar Hat, but it was obvious that all of the running around was sapping him of his energy. And if he was being honest with himself, carrying Elizabeth on his back didn't help.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" He huffed, "Running uphill isn't exactly easy. Try it sometime!"

"Right, sorry!"

By the time they reached the Boar Hat, Hawk was barely able to run. Elizabeth hopped off of his back just as he collapsed onto the ground. She sprinted towards the door, only to come skidding to a halt when she saw someone was already standing there.

"It's about time you showed up . . ."

Leaning against the door, with her legs crossed and an amused smile on her face, was Merlin.

"How did you get here?" Elizabeth asked.

"The Captain informed me of the situation and I came here straight away," Boar's Sin explained, "He should be here any minute."

Moments later, Meliodas could be seen jogging up the path, waving to them with his cheeky grin still on his face.

"Hope you guys weren't waiting long," he said as he jumped over Hawk's pitifully exhausted body, "I had a little bit of trouble shaking Pelliot off my case about Gowther."

Merlin chuckled, "He'll probably be up here tomorrow, I'm sure. He cares a lot for Gowther."

Elizabeth nodded, "I wonder if he's doing alright."

"We should head up there. Ban is probably on the brink of an anxiety attack by now."

Meliodas and Elizabeth followed the Boar's Sin into the bar and up the steps. The princess felt her own nervousness eat away at her. How long had she been away, exactly? How much progress had Gowther made in that time? And Ban had seemed pretty tense when she left. She wondered how he was doing. Was he on the brink of an anxiety attack like Merlin had said? Had he calm down some and had managed to handle everything on his own? And, oh God, what if something had gone wrong? They had all waited nine long months for this. If something went wrong now, everyone would be devastated; even Gowther.

"You okay, Elizabeth?"

The princess glanced over to Meliodas, who was looking her over with a concerned expression.

"I'm just worried about Sir Gowther, that's all," Elizabeth replied.

Meliodas chuckled slightly, "Yeah. To be honest, I'm a little worried too. And excited. Gowther is probably ready to get this done and over with."

Elizabeth relaxed slightly. Hearing him talk like that seemed to make her feel better, somehow. But as they entered through the door to Ban's bedroom, her worry spiked again.

Gowther lay in bed, chest heaving, body straining, and his face twisted up in pain that had to be worse than when she had left. Ban was beside him, trying to offer some encouragement and comfort, but he appeared to be shaken with concern and worry.

"Merlin!" He called to the Boar's Sin, his voice laced with exhaustion, "Help . . ."

Merlin quickly moved over and positioned herself at the end of the bed.

"Looks like you've made quite a bit of progress on your own," she said to Gowther, "the baby is close to crowning."

"Close to crowing?!" Ban gasped, "he's been pushing for half an hour, now! I would've thought he would have crowned by now."

"Well, the first time is always the hardest."

"He's going to be alright, though, isn't he?" Elizabeth piped up, settling herself opposite of band, "he already looks pretty tired."

"He'll be fine. The contractions will help him out tremendously," the Boar's Sin looked over to Gowther, "I assume that's what you've been doing."

Gowther nodded, "They're very close together, though. It's becoming difficult to keep up with them."

"That's all right. Whenever you feel the need to push, go ahead and push. Otherwise, let the contractions do the work for you."

The Goat's Sin nodded in understanding before he started pushing once more.

"You sure do know a lot about this kind of thing, don't you, Merlin." Meliodas commented.

"Well, I've lived long enough to assist in my fair share of births, including those who were created from dolls. It gives me a little more confidence to assist," Merlin glanced over to Ban, who still appeared to be struggling to keep calm about the situation, "Don't you want to come over to watch your child being born?"

Ban shook his head, I've already gotten a glimpse of what's going on down there, thank you very much."

Merlin chuckled a bit, knowing full well that not all soon-to-be fathers were beacons of confidence. Some were nervous wrecks from the moment they found out their partner was pregnant all the way to when they finally gave birth. Seeing Ban unable to pull himself together over something like this amused her to some extent.

Her attention moved back to Gowther as he let out a shuddering breath to take a break from pushing. It was unusual seeing pure exhaustion coat his features as he laid back against the pillows. In fact, everything about what his body language was saying felt foreign. The way the Goat's Sin gripped and fisted into the sheets, the way he gritted his teeth to keep himself from screaming, the way he panted and strained when in the grip of a contraction; all of it felt way too unnatural to be seen from Gowther. It was almost worrying. Was he really going to be okay, or was there something more to this?

"You're doing fine," Merlin said encouragingly, "I can see the top of the baby's head now."

Ban lifted his head slightly, shifting his gaze over to her, "You can?"

The Sin of Gluttony nodded briefly before turning her attention back to Gowther as he started pushing once more, leaving Ban at the mercy of his own curiosity. He wondered if the baby bore the Sin of Lust's magenta hair, or if it bore his own icy blue hair.

The Fox Sin's gaze snapped back to Gowther as the Goat's Sin and let out a heavy breath and stop pushing sooner than he had before. He heaved for breath and laid back against the pillows once more. He brought an arm up and wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on his head before letting it rest over his eyes.

"I know this is difficult," Merlin said, "Once you push out the head and shoulders, the rest should be easy. You're almost done . . ."

Merlin paused as a small whimper escaped him. The Sin of Lust attempted to control his breathing before another one whimper escaped him, and then a sharp sniff. Gowther's expressions no longer looked strained with labor pains, rather they were now strained with distress.

"Gowther . . . Are you crying?"

A stunned silence fell over the group. Until now, Elizabeth had been the only one to see the Goat's Sin cry, and as Gowther had appeared to be fine shortly after, she never brought it up.

"What's the matter?" The princess asked.

Gowther was silent for a moment before he finally found the words.

"I'm afraid . . ."

A wave of shock replaced the silence. Gowther had never expressed feeling any sort of emotion before. The last time he had said he felt anything was after he had slapped Ban the last time the Fox's Sin had gotten drunk, and he had only agreed with the others that that was what he had felt at the time. To actually hear him say, on his own, that he was afraid was a complete change from the Gowther that couldn't feel anything. And they knew one thing for damn sure: this wasn't another random scene from one of his books.

"I'm afraid . . ." Gowther repeated, "I don't want to do this anymore . . . It's too much . . ."

While the others were still left stunned by the magenta-haired man's choice of words, Merlin's expressions softened into a reassuring smile as she took one of his clenching hands into hers.

"It's all right," she said, "it's okay to be afraid, but your baby needs you to be strong right now. I know it hurts, and I know you're tired, but it's almost over."

Gowther looked up at Merlin, letting her words sink in. Around him, Ban, Elizabeth, and Meliodas were giving him the same reassuring smile. Slowly, he felt that smile crawl across his own face.

"Alright . . ."

The Sin of Lust propped himself up once more, and as another contraction started he resumed his pushing. Whatever he had allowed to overwhelm him, he pushed it aside and let Merlin's words pull him through it. He was tired and the pain was only getting worse, but he couldn't give up now.

"That's it, Gowther," he heard her say, "More of the head is coming out. Keep going!"

 _Keep going . . . Keep going . . . Keep going . . ._

Gowther took a short rest, building up his strength before taking another breath and pushing once more. He yelped and moaned as more of the head was birthed before suddenly popping free. The head was out, and he let Merlin's words guide him once more. Once the head and shoulders were free, the rest should be easy.

"Keep going," Merlin said, "you're so close."

 _So close . . . So close . . . So close . . ._

He let out a small scream as he felt the shoulders start to emerge. It almost made him want to rip the child out of him himself, the thought encouraging him to push harder.

Finally, after one final rest and a few lighter pushes, the pain that he'd been wrapped in all day suddenly vanished. After a long silence, he heard a tiny cough come from something cradled in Merlin's hands. Moments later, it started crying.

"It's a girl!" the Boar's Sin announced.

A tiny, pink, squirming newborn was placed in Gowther's arms, though he couldn't quite process it at first. He thought that he would have to be pregnant forever, resting in bed forever, in labor and pushing forever. And finally, after countless hours of waiting, breathing, and pushing, he was finally holding the child that was nestled inside of him for the past nine months. It took resting a hand against the infant's chubby little cheeks, running it over her downy powder blue hair, and finally being able to look into her bright blue eyes to register the fact that this child was his.

Gowther's expressions softened into a kind warm smile.

"Hello there, little one . . ."

* * *

 ***Flops down onto bed and buries head into the pillows* I did it!**

 **Literally, I stayed up until 2 o'clock in the morning to finish writing this chapter! This is the scene I've been waiting A YEAR to write! I'm so happy at how it turned out. My goal was to finish this story by New Year's, but that's not going to happen. We still have like one or two more chapters to go, so hopefully I can finish it within the first week of the new year.**

 **I refrained from making an update specifically for holiday wishes, by request of a reader, so I just want to say now I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Yuletide, and here's to 2017!**

 **-BlueRaven 666**


	22. CH 22:When the Sin of Lust's Heart Beats

**Chapter 22: When the Sin of Lust's Heart Beats**

"I don't get it."

Ban followed Merlin and Meliodas down to the bar, allowing Gowther some time to be alone with their new baby. While he was relieved that it was all over with, the Fox's Sin was still put off by the Goat Sin's sudden change in behavior. Was it an effect from the stress of delivery, or was it something else? Because crying, smiling, and expressing what he wanted and how he felt didn't come naturally to him. To Ban, the question bore repeating: why was Gowther acting so different all of a sudden?

"I can't exactly say I'm surprised," Merlin stated, "usually among the dolls I've assisted in their deliveries, about 70% of them exhibited behavioral changes of some kind."

"But why?" Ban growled, "It's not like he's pretending to be a normal human being, now. Something must have happened to him while he was giving birth. Wait . . . That little Peace Amulet you gave him didn't malfunction, or anything like that, did it?"

Merlin laughed, "I doubt the Peace Amulet has anything to do with it. All I can say is that this is a usual side effect from a situation that causes dolls a great deal of stress."

"What kind of side effect?"

The Boar's Sin smirked, "Their hearts start beating, of course."

Merlin's words made Ban pause. This whole experience made Gowther's heartbeat? It didn't make sense. Gowther had been obsessed with trying to "find a heart" for years. Was Merlin implying that he had a heart this whole time and it just took a push and shove to get it working? If so, then why now? Why not during all the battles they had fought together in the past when he was being torn limb from limb and having weapons run through his body? Why now?

"Let me explain," Merlin stated, "Dolls are pretty durable creatures, probably even more durable than demons. Each doll made by the wizard Gowther was made by is given a heart, but the heart isn't able to function until the doll experiences something that is either physically, mentally, or emotionally overloading. We already know that Gowther is physically capable; it's almost impossible to exhaust him, and I don't think it's possible to mentally exhausted him, as well. He reads so many books and has lived long enough to be a whole textbook of knowledge. And, in the past, we've seen that emotions are something he uses others to understand, so there was hardly any effort on his part to understand those things."

"So what made tonight so different that Gowther 'overloaded'?" Ban asked.

"Childbirth is all of these things combined. Between the effort the parent has to go through to deliver and the pain that it causes, it's physically demanding on the body; doll or not. It's also mentally demanding at the fact that there's so much waiting involved, and nobody knows just how long it will be before it's over. Childbirth is also a very emotional experience. Delivery can be scary and frustrating, and seeing the child for the first time can bring feelings of happiness, pride, joy, and love. Gowther is a very durable doll, but even the most durable ones can be broken by childbirth."

Ban nodded and understanding, but then the thought hit him, "Then what was that number you threw out there? Only 70% exhibit behavioral changes? What about the other 30%?"

Merlin's smirk fell slightly.

"That's the percentage that had either changed before then, or they died in childbirth."

The statement made Ban think. Gowther could have died from that? In the past, whenever the Sin of Lust pissed him off, he always thought how good it would be if he would just drop dead. King had probably thought that at one time or another, too. But Ban realized that if that had happened at any point during tonight, he would have been devastated and probably would have done everything he could have to revive him. Not only would have they lost a valuable member of the Seven Deadly Sins, but they would have lost an unborn child with him. It probably would have been just as bad as when he had lost Elaine.

"So, does that mean that Gowther's human?" Ban asked, "now that he has a heart, and everything?"

"I'm not sure," Merlin replied, "it's entirely possible that'll happen, but the odds of that happening aren't all that good. Of the 70% of dolls that find their hearts in childbirth, only 10% ever stay that way. It isn't uncommon for the heartbeat to stop again once they've fully recovered."

"So if that happens, Gowther will be back to his usual self?"

Merlin shook her head, "No, it's more likely that he'll shift back into his doll form, and I will take another powerful burst of magic to turn him back again."

Everything in Ban froze. There was only a 10% chance that Gowther was going to be all right after this? He didn't like those odds. When he thought about it, maybe that was why Merlin had done everything she could to help him over the course of the past nine months. It was probably why she was so insistent that Ban be included in this, and he had taken all of that time for granted.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Meliodas piped up, "Gowther's come out of a lot of stupid situations before. I'm pretty sure this won't be any different."

The Sin of Greed stared at him in bewilderment. How could the captain be so nonchalant about this? Losing Gowther would be a major blow to his team, not to mention the child he'd leave behind. Then again, he had a point. Gowther had gotten himself in and out of all kinds of dicey situations. But this seemed to be more of a matter of chance than anything.

"Besides," Meliodas continued, "if Gowther was going to turn back into a doll, wouldn't he have done so by now? I mean the most stressful part is already done and over with."

Merlin gave a slight shrug, " I suppose you have a point there. I would consider the odds of him changing back pretty low, at this point. But it's still a possibility."

"I'm going to see how he's doing," Ban finally said, walking back towards the steps, "I still haven't gotten to hold the kid yet."

The Fox's Sin went back up to his bedroom quietly. Elizabeth was still there, sitting beside Gowther, watching him as he still held his newborn. Ban couldn't help but smile at the sight. He'd never seen Gowther look so happy before. Heck, he'd never seen him look happy.

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Ban asked.

"That's what we've been trying to go over," Elizabeth replied, "Lord Gowther doesn't like any of the names I've suggested."

"Well, what have you got?"

"I really like the name Amelia, but Gowther said it wasn't quite the right fit. I tried to suggest Joan, but he said it seemed like a big name to live up to."

Ban chuckled, "You mean like Joan of Arc?"

"Yeah, I always loved hearing stories about her as a kid."

"I'm going to have to agree with Gowther on that one. That does seem like a big name to live up to."

Elizabeth pouted slightly as Ban took a seat opposite her.

"Well, you don't like any of the princess's suggestions," he commented, "have you thought of anything?"

"No, I haven't," Gowther replied, "everything I seem to think up doesn't quite fit. Would you like to hold her?"

Ban scoffed, "I stayed with you for four hours today helping you, and I just watched you give birth. Hell yeah, I want to hold her!"

The Sin of Lust let out a chuckle before passing the tiny bundle over to him. The infant let out a tiny cooing noise as it stretched and squirmed, trying to get comfortable. Ban couldn't help but smile. While she did have his hair, she mostly look like Gowther. While it would still be some time before her natural eyecolor came in, he wouldn't be surprised if hers were the same golden color as the Goat Sin's.

Ban couldn't help but be surprised at how tiny the baby was. She had to be around fourteen inches long and her head easily fit in his hand. The way the delivery went, he thought Gowther was going to deliver a monster of a child. Then he thought about it a little bit more. If he had to push this tiny thing out of them, he'd probably be screaming, too. He'd probably order a few steins of beer on top of that, so he had to give Gowther some credit for being able to cope with the pain with nothing but a few back rubs and some breathing techniques.

"She really is cute, isn't she?" Ban said, smiling.

Gowther studied him carefully. There was something in his eyes. Something about the way he was looking at their child reminded him about the way Ban always looked when he talked about . . . _her_. It was the name of the Sin of Greed always clung to, and if Gowther had to be honest with himself, the name suited their child perfectly.

"I know what I'd like to name her," he piped up.

"What's that?" Ban asked, forcing himself to tear his gaze away from those of the child, "Is it the name of a character from one of your books?"

Gowther shook his head, "I think it's a name you will like to."

"Well, what is it?"

". . . Elaine."

Ban felt his chest tighten as he looked from Gowther to their child.

"That's what you want to name her?" He asked, "Elaine?"

Gowther nodded, "I think it suits her."

Ban's first instinct was to get defensive. Was he implying that this child could fill the void that Elaine's death had created? Did he think that she could replace her? Nobody could replace his Elaine. He would see her again someday, he just knew it!

Then Ban allowed himself to slow down and think. When Ban was panicking about feeling no attachment to Gowther or his unborn child, it was Elaine's spirit that came to comfort him. When he was worried that neither he nor Gowther would make suitable parents, it was Elaine's words that brought him reassurance. And now that everything was finally done and over with, their only problem trying to find a name for the child, it was Elaine's name that was suggested.

Naming this child after Elaine wouldn't be so bad.

"Elaine . . . I think it's perfect."

* * *

 **THE END**


End file.
